extimesco

Pronunciation

• Classical: [ɛk.stɪˈmeːs.koː]^[1]
• Ecclesiastical: [ek.stiˈmɛs.ko]^[1]

Forms

extimēscō (present infinitive extimēscere, perfect active extimuī); third conjugation, no supine stem^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from ex- (“out, thoroughly”) and timeō (“to fear”) with the inchoative suffix -scō.^[2] De Vaan rejects the link of ⟨timeō⟩ with words for “stiff” and leaves it without an etymology.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus,^[3] where a slave cries “how she trembles! she took fright when she saw you”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Intransitively it is to take fright or be alarmed, as Cicero's horses frightened by the sudden hissing of gladiators.^[2][4] Transitively it is to be afraid of or dread, as Terence's young man who dreads his father.^[2][1]

Church Latin glosses it “to fear”.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of a woman who takes fright.^[2][6]
• 190–159 BC – Terence of dreading a father.^[2][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of frightened horses.^[4][6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To take fright, be greatly frightened.^[2][4][1]
2. To be afraid of, dread.^[2][1][5]

Related words

• timeō
• pertimēscō
• timor

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b 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