existimo

Forms

exīstimō (present infinitive exīstimāre, perfect active exīstimāvī, supine exīstimātum); first conjugation^[1] It is also spelled existumō, and an inscription has exaestum-.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin ex- + aestimō (“to value, estimate”), with the vowel weakened in the compound.^[2][3][1][4] The origin of the simple verb is uncertain: de Vaan finds the derivation from aes “bronze” and a word for “cut” not credible, and prefers a connection with Proto-Indo-European *h₂eis- (“to seek”), the root of aeruscō “to beg”.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus on:^[4] neque quod dīxī floccī exīstimat, “he doesn't care a straw for what I said”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

With a genitive of price exīstimāre means “to value, esteem” (nūllam rem tantī exīstimāre).^[2] It then means “to judge, form an opinion of”, and with an accusative and infinitive “to think, suppose”.^[2][1] In Church Latin it also means “to take account of”.^[5]

Its nouns are exīstimātiō “opinion, reputation” and exīstimātor “judge, critic”.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – First found in Plautus, with a genitive of value.^[2][4][6]
• 190–159 BC – Terence: quālem tū mē esse hominem exīstumēs, “what kind of man you think I am”.^[2][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero: nūllam rem tantī exīstimāssem, “I would have valued nothing so highly”.^[2][6]

Meanings

Verb

1. (with genitive of price) To value, esteem.^[2][3][1]
2. To judge, form an opinion of.^[2][5]
3. (with accusative and infinitive) To think, suppose.^[2][1][5]
4. To take account of.^[5]

Word family

• existimabilis
• exīstimātiō
• exīstimātor

Related words

• aestimō
• putō
• arbitror
• cēnseō

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes aestimāre, to estimate the exact value or price of something, from exīstimāre, to judge it by its worth or truth;^[7] Cicero sets exīstimātiō, private opinion, against competent judgment (iūdicium).^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper