eximo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈɛk.sɪ.moː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɛk.si.mo]^[1]

Forms

eximō (present infinitive eximere, perfect active exēmī, supine exēmptum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from ex- (“out”) and emō “to take, buy”, like adimō and dēmō.^[2][1][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of getting rid of something and of freeing a person.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to take out, extract, as Cato's lifting of plants, to quarry, and to take off, remove.^[2] Figuratively it meant to get rid of, banish, to leave out or deduct, as Cicero's day taken out of the month, to remove from a category, and to use up time.^[2][6] It meant to free a person from danger, as Cicero's release from chains, to exempt from a tax or duty, and in law to keep someone from appearing in court.^[2][6] Döderlein says dēmō, adimō and eximō all mean taking away without force or fraud.^[7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to draw out, deliver, release.^[8] English exempt came from its participle exēmptus in the late 14th century, and its derivative exemplum “sample” is the source of English example.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of freeing a person.^[2][5]
• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of lifting plants.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of exemption.^[2][5]
• late 14th century – English exempt is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To take out, extract; to remove.^[2]
2. To get rid of; to omit, deduct.^[2]
3. To use up (time).^[2]
4. To free, release, save.^[2]
5. To exempt (from a duty).^[2]

Word family

• exemptilis
• exemptiō
• exemptor
• exemptus
• eximius
• exemplum

Related words

• emō
• adimō
• English exempt
• English example

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 l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson