evoco

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈeː.wɔ.koː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɛː.vo.ko]^[1]

Forms

ēvocō (present infinitive ēvocāre, perfect active ēvocāvī, supine ēvocātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from ex- “out” and vocō “to call”.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of calling someone out.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to call out of a building, as in Plautus, and in Caesar to lure out.^[2] In Cicero it meant to summon, call upon to appear, in Celsus to rouse to a state, and in Columella to draw out, extract.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to summon, call forth.^[5] It survives in Italian evocare, French évoquer and Spanish evocar, and gave English evoke in the 1620s; its participle gave English evocate.^[1][3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of calling out.^[2][4]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of luring out.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of summoning.^[2][4]
• 1620s – English evoke is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To call out.^[2]
2. To lure out.^[2]
3. To summon.^[2]
4. To rouse, evoke.^[2]
5. To draw out.^[2]

Related words

• vocō
• ēvocātiō
• English evoke

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson