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extrico

Etymology and origin of the Latin word extrico

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (trīcae)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɛkˈstriː.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ekˈstriː.ko][1]

Forms

extrīcō (present infinitive extrīcāre, perfect active extrīcāvī, supine extrīcātum); first conjugation[1] Plautus has a deponent extrīcor.[2]

Etymology

It is from ex- and trīcae “trifles, hindrances”, with -ō.[3][1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short cite the deponent in Plautus' Epidicus, and the OLD's earliest citations are Varro and Horace.[2][3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to disentangle, set free, extricate, also figuratively, as in Horace, and to clear up, solve a problem, and Varro has nihil extrīcāre “to achieve nothing”.[3][2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to extricate, remove, disentangle.[6] English extricate (1610s) is from its participle extrīcātus.[4] It survives as Spanish estregar, Italian strigare and Romanian strica.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses the deponent.[2][5]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of achieving.[3][5]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of freeing.[3][5]
  • 1610s – English extricate is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To disentangle, set free, extricate.[3][2]
  2. To clear up, solve.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  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. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Extrico.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/extrico. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·