Etymologically
Log in

examino

Etymology and origin of the Latin word examino

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Cicero
Ultimate origin
Latin (exigō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɛkˈsaː.mɪ.noː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [eɡˈzaː.mi.no][1]

Forms

exāminō (present infinitive exāmināre, perfect active exāmināvī, supine exāminātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from exāmen “swarm; tongue of a balance” with the verb suffix -ō.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Caesar, of weighing, and Cicero, of balancing.[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC and Caesar about 50 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

In Columella it meant of bees to swarm.[2][5] In Caesar it meant to weigh, as his iron bars of a fixed weight used as money, and in Cicero to balance, put in equilibrium.[2][5] In Quintilian it meant to consider critically, examine.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to test, try, weigh, refine, purify, ponder, consider.[6] In the swarming sense it survives in Spanish enjambrar and Portuguese enxamear, and it was borrowed into French examiner, and English examine came about 1300, first of questioning someone's competence, exāminātiō gave English examination.[1][3]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of balancing.[2][4]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of weighing.[2][4]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of examining.[2][4]
  • c. 1300 – English examine is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. Of bees, to swarm.[2]
  2. To weigh.[2]
  3. To balance.[2]
  4. To consider critically, examine.[2]

Word family

  • exāminātiō
  • examinator
  • examinatrix
  • inexaminatus
  • exāminātus

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. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Examino.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/examino. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·