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evinco

Etymology and origin of the Latin word evinco

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Virgil
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*weyk-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin vinco
Latin devinco
Latin evinco

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [eːˈwɪŋ.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [eˈviŋ.ko][1]

Forms

ēvincō (present infinitive ēvincere, perfect active ēvīcī, supine ēvictum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin ex- + vincō (“to conquer”).[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨vincō⟩ to Proto-Italic *wink- (“to tie, bind; overcome”), Proto-Indo-European *wi-n-k- (“to bend, tie”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short note that it is not found before Augustus, and the OLD's earliest citations are Virgil, of winning past an obstacle.[4][2] Köbler dates Virgil 70–19 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to win a way past an obstacle, as in Virgil; to overcome, rise above, subdue conditions, as in Ovid; to defeat utterly and to overcome resistance, persuade, as in Tacitus; and in law, as in Quintilian, to recover possession of property by judgement.[2][4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to bring about, induce, prevail, vanquish.[6] English evict (mid-15th century) is from its participle ēvictus, and evince (c. 1600) from it through French évincer.[7]

Timeline

  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it.[2][5]
  • 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of overcoming conditions.[2][5]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it as a legal term.[2][5]
  • mid-15th century – English evict is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To defeat utterly, vanquish.[2][4]
  2. To get past (an obstacle).[2]
  3. To overcome, subdue.[2]
  4. To persuade, prevail upon.[2]
  5. (law) To recover possession of.[2]

Word family

  • ēvictiō
  • ēvictus

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Evinco.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/evinco. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·