exactio

Forms

exāctiō f (genitive exāctiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin exigō (“to drive out; to demand”) + -tiō.^[2][1] De Vaan traces the simple verb agō (“to drive, do”) to Proto-Italic *ag-e/o- (“to do, act”) and Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-e/o- (“to drive, lead”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler records it first in Cicero,^[4] who uses it of the expulsion of the kings;^[2] Lewis & Short suggest that he chose it there only because exāctīs rēgibus precedes.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The usual sense was the calling in of money: Cicero writes of waiting for the full collection of his debts,^[6] and Asinius Pollio, in a letter to Cicero, of gold raised from public taxes.^[2][6] Cicero also uses it of the supervision of public works,^[2][5] and Columella of the daily task demanded of a worker.^[5] From the collecting came the tax itself: Cicero mentions harsh taxes on heads and doors,^[5] Tacitus illegal exactions,^[5] and Suetonius' life of Horace calls the poet's father an exāctiōnum coāctor, a collector of payments.^[5] Vitruvius uses it of the precise carrying out of a design, and of right proportion.^[2][6] In Christian Latin it is the levying of tribute,^[7][5] and in Medieval Latin an exaction, a toll or tax, management and a claim at law.^[8][9] English took exaction in the late 14th century, from Old French and directly from Latin.^[10]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of expulsion, of debts and of taxes.^[2][5][4]
• c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius uses it of exact execution.^[2][4]
• 1st century AD – Columella uses it of a daily task.^[5][4]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus speaks of illegal exactions.^[5][4]
• Medieval Latin – It means an exaction, management and a claim at law.^[8]
• late 14th century – Borrowed into English as exaction.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. A driving out, expulsion.^[2][5]
2. The calling in or collection of taxes or debts.^[2][5]
3. The enforcement of work; the supervision of public works.^[2][5]
4. A tax, tribute, impost.^[5][7]
5. The precise carrying out of a design; right proportion.^[2][6]
6. (Medieval Latin) An exaction; management; a claim at law.^[8][9]

Related words

• exigō
• exāctor
• agō
• English exaction

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 d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ a b Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com