Etymologically
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em

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈẽː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈɛm][1]

Forms

em [1]

Etymology

It is probably a shortened imperative of emō (“to take”), originally “take!”.[2][3] De Vaan derives the imperative ⟨*eme⟩ from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em-e/o- (“to take”), cognate with Umbrian emantur (“may they be taken”) and Lithuanian im̃ti (“to take”).[3] Köbler calls the origin unclear.[4] The TLL notes that it first went with the gesture of giving or holding out something and already in Plautus became a demonstrative particle, like ecce and ēn.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is frequent in Plautus,[6][4] offering something to someone's attention: “here's the bowl for you, there it is”.[2]

Semantic evolution

It is used with an accusative, often with an ethic dative, as in “there's your man: go up and speak to him” and “there's the whole plot for you”.[2] It also introduces exclamations, “look whom you trust yourself to!”, statements (“if you say so, there, we'll go with you”) and commands.[2] Gaius Gracchus used it in a speech on the killing of his brother Tiberius.[2][5] Manuscripts vary between em and hem.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus.[2][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence.[2][4]
  • c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius with a nominative.[2][4]

Meanings

Interjection

  1. Offering something or drawing attention to it: here you are, there, look.[2][6][1]
  2. Introducing an exclamation, a statement or a command: see, there.[2]

Usage notes

A separate Old Latin em is an accusative of is, for eum,[2][6][1] found in the Twelve Tables.[4] Em was also the name of the letter M.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press