Etymologically
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eluceo

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [eːˈɫuː.ke.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [eˈluː.t͡ʃe.o][1]

Forms

ēlūceō (present infinitive ēlūcēre, perfect active ēlūxī); second conjugation, no passive, no supine stem[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin ex- + lūceō (“to shine”).[2][1][3] De Vaan lists lūceō under lūx and traces the stative verb to Proto-Italic *l(o)ukē- (“to be light”) and Proto-Indo-European *luk-eh₁- (“to be light”), comparing Sanskrit रोचते (rócate, “shines”) and Ancient Greek λευκός (leukós, “clear, light”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first quotation in the OLD is in Cicero's Republic: a circle shining out among the flames with the brightest whiteness.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

It is to shine out or forth: Virgil has bees glittering with gold.[6] Lewis & Short find it classical and especially frequent in Cicero in figurative senses.[6] A quality shows itself, as honour in a deed; a person stands out from the rest, as one who studies eloquence to shine in the forum; and a fact becomes clear to the mind.[2] Church Latin glosses it to shine forth, stand out clearly, be apparent.[7]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of a shining circle and of qualities that stand out.[2][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil of glittering bees.[6][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To shine out or forth, glitter.[2][6][1][7]
  2. Of a quality, to show itself; of a person, to stand out, be conspicuous.[2][1]
  3. Of a fact, to be or become clear, be apparent.[2][1][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g 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. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson