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excedo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word excedo

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (cēdō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɛksˈkeː.doː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [eksˈt͡ʃɛː.do][1]

Forms

excēdō (present infinitive excēdere, perfect active excessī, supine excessum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from ex- “out” and cēdō “to go, withdraw”.[2][1][3][4] Terence has the syncopated ⟨excessis⟩.[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of passing out of a condition.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to go away, withdraw, as Cicero's ex Italiā excēdere, in Celsus of things to move out, in Terence to disappear, and in Livy to digress.[2][7] From Plautus it meant to pass out of a condition, and in Terence ē vītā excēdere to die.[2] In Celsus it meant to project, and to grow to excess, and in Varro to go beyond limits, in Tacitus to be greater.[2] Transitively, in Seneca it meant to leave an area, in Ovid to go beyond a standard, and in Pliny the Elder and Livy to exceed in size or age.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to go beyond, exceed, depart, transgress.[8] It was borrowed into Italian as eccedere and French excéder, and Old French gave English exceed in the late 14th century, excessus gave English excess.[1][4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of passing out of a condition.[2][6]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of dying.[2][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of leaving Italy.[7][6]
  • late 14th century – English exceed is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To go away, withdraw; to disappear; to digress.[2]
  2. To pass out of (a condition); to die.[2]
  3. To project.[2]
  4. To grow to excess; of time, to run out.[2]
  5. To go beyond; to be greater.[2]
  6. To leave (an area); to exceed (a limit).[2]
  7. To exceed in size or age; to surpass.[2]

Word family

  • excessus
  • excessiō
  • excessīvus
  • superexcēdō

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 m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Excedo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/excedo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·