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exploro

Etymology and origin of the Latin word exploro

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Confidence
Uncertain
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (plōrō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɛkˈspɫoː.roː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ekˈsplɔː.ro][1]

Forms

explōrō (present infinitive explōrāre, perfect active explōrāvī, supine explōrātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is perhaps from ex- and plōrō “to cry out, wail”.[2][1] Paulus' epitome of Festus says the ancients used ⟨explōrāre⟩ for ⟨exclāmāre⟩ “to cry out”.[3][2] Wiktionary suggests the first meaning was to scout the hunting ground for game by shouting, and Etymonline also calls it originally a hunters' term.[1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of inquiring into a state of affairs.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It was used mostly in military contexts of reconnoitring a place, as in Cicero and Caesar's search for a site for a camp.[2][6] It meant to investigate, inquire into, to ascertain or make sure, to plan, and in Cicero explōrātum habēre “to know for certain”.[2] From Virgil onwards it also meant to put to the test, try out.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to explore, investigate.[7] English explore came in the 1580s, perhaps through French explorer.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of investigating.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of reconnoitring.[2][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of testing.[2][5]
  • 1580s – English explore is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (chiefly military) To reconnoitre, inspect a place.[2]
  2. To investigate, inquire into; to ascertain; to plan.[2][8]
  3. explōrātum habēre, to know for certain.[2]
  4. To put to the test, try out.[2]
  5. (archaic) To cry out.[2][3]

Word family

  • explōrātiō
  • explōrātor
  • inexplōrātus

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Exploro.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/exploro. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·