Etymologically
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expendo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɛkˈspɛn.doː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ekˈspɛn.do][1]

Forms

expendō (present infinitive expendere, perfect active expendī, supine expēnsum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin ex- (“out”) + pendō (“to weigh, pay”).[2][1] The verb pendō is inherited from Proto-Italic *pend-e/o- (“to hang, weigh”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend-, a root most handbooks regard as a variant of *(s)penh₁- “to spin”.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus uses it: a character says he has weighed someone and knows he weighs a hundred pounds.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense was to weigh out, and so to pay out money.[2][5] It also meant to confer praise or inflict punishment, to pay a penalty, and to judge or estimate.[2] Cicero says he weighs his arguments rather than counting them.[2]

A shortened Medieval Latin spendere gave Old English -spendan and English spend.[5] The verb survives in Italian spendere, and English expend is recorded in the early 15th century.[1][5]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of weighing a person.[2][4]
  • 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses it of Prometheus paying the penalty to Jupiter.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of weighing arguments.[2][4]
  • early 15th century – English expend is recorded.[5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To weigh.[2]
  2. To pay out, disburse (money).[2]
  3. To confer (praise); to inflict (punishment).[2]
  4. To pay (a penalty).[2]
  5. To weigh in the mind, judge, estimate.[2]

Word family

  • expensa
  • expensio
  • expensum
  • expēnsē
  • expēnsus

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com