Etymologically
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frango

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈfraŋ.ɡoː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfraŋ.ɡo][1]

Forms

frangō (present infinitive frangere, perfect active frēgī, supine frāctum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *frang- (“to break”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *bʰr̥-n-ǵ- (“to break”), a nasal present of Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (“to break”).[2][1] The long vowel of frāctus follows Lachmann's law.[2] Cognate with Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (brikan, “to break”), Old High German brehhan (“to break”) and English break.[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Twelve Tables use it.[2] Köbler dates the Twelve Tables c. 450 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was to break or shatter, as weapons in Plautus, to fracture a limb, to break into pieces, as bread, and to make water rough.[3] Cicero uses it of breaking eggs and a ring.[6] Döderlein says that frangere breaks to pieces what is hard and rumpō tears what is flexible, quoting Cato's sī quis membrum rupit aut os frēgit “if someone has broken a limb or a bone”.[7]

In medieval Latin it was to break, crack, pick or harvest, and to break out.[8] It survives as Italian frangere and Romanian frânge.[1] English fracture, fraction and fragile come from its derivatives.[9]

Timeline

  • c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables use it.[2][5]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of breaking weapons and bread.[3][5]
  • late 14th century – English fraction is recorded, from Late Latin frāctiō.[9]
  • early 15th century – English fracture is recorded, from frāctūra.[9]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To break, shatter.[3][10]
  2. To fracture (a limb).[3]
  3. To break into pieces.[3]
  4. To make (water) rough.[3]

Word family

  • circumfractus
  • cōnfringō
  • dēfringō
  • diffringō
  • effringō
  • frāctiō
  • fractor
  • frāctūra
  • frāctus
  • fragescō
  • suffrāgium
  • fragilis
  • English fracture
  • English fraction
  • English fragile

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b c 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. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  8. ^ Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  9. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  10. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press