Etymologically
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existimo

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɛkˈsiːs.tɪ.moː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [eɡˈzis.ti.mo][1]

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

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