Etymologically
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educo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈeː.dʊ.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɛː.du.ko][1]

Forms

ēducō (present infinitive ēducāre, perfect active ēducāvī, supine ēducātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from ex- (“out”) and the weak grade *dŭc- of the root of dūcō “to lead”, with the first-conjugation suffix -ō.[2][1] It is closely related to the third-conjugation verb of the same spelling, “to lead out”, which can also mean to bring up children.[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis and Short cite Plautus, whose mistress brought a girl up with great care.[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to support the growth of offspring, bring up, nurture, rear, of children, animals and plants, as Catullus' flowers reared by the weather.[2][6] Varro distinguishes the roles: the midwife brings out, the nurse rears (ēducat), the tutor instructs and the teacher teaches, though the distinction was not strictly kept.[3] It also meant to train or educate, as in Cicero.[6] In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to bring up, provide for, train, educate.[7]

It survives in Italian educare, French éduquer and Spanish educar.[1] English educate was borrowed in the mid-15th century in the sense “to bring up children”, and English education in the 1530s, first of child-rearing.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of bringing up a girl.[3][5]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro distinguishes the nurse who rears from the teacher.[3][5]
  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of plants.[2][5]
  • mid-15th century – English educate is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To bring up, rear, nurture (children).[2]
  2. To rear (animals, plants).[2]
  3. To train, educate.[6][7]

Word family

  • ēducātiō
  • ēducātor
  • ēducātrīx
  • educatus
  • ēductor
  • ēductiō

Usage notes

The third-conjugation verb ēdūcō, ēdūcere meant to lead out, draw out, bring forth, and also to bring up children; it is the source of English educe.[2][4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson