fulgeo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈfʊɫ.ɡe.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈful̠ʲ.d͡ʒe.o]^[1]

Forms

fulgeō (present infinitive fulgēre, perfect active fulsī); second conjugation, no passive, no supine stem^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *folg-e/o- (“to shine”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *bʰl̥g-e/o- (“to shine”).^[2][1] Cognate with Ancient Greek φλέγω (phlégō, “to burn”), Ancient Greek φλόξ (phlóx, “flame”) and Tocharian B pälketär (“burns”), and perhaps Sanskrit भर्गस् (bhárgas, “radiance”).^[2][3] De Vaan takes the third-conjugation fulgere as the older form, like fervere beside ferveō, though the attestations do not settle it.^[2][3] fulgur “lightning” and fulmen “thunderbolt”, from *fulgmen, are from the same verb, and flagrō “to blaze” from the same root.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates the third-conjugation form from Pacuvius and fulgēre from Lucilius.^[2] Köbler dates Pacuvius 220–130 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to shine brightly, flash, glitter, as the morning star near the moon in Pomponius, and impersonally fulget “it lightens”, of Jupiter and the sky.^[3][5] Of white or bright things it meant to be resplendent, as Lucilius' trousers and cloaks, and figuratively to shine, be conspicuous, as Nepos' young Eumenes in whom the nature of virtue already shone.^[3] Döderlein says it denotes a glaring light or dazzling fiery colour, as against the soft light of lūceō.^[6]

Its derivatives include fulgor “brightness”, and effulgeō “to shine forth”.^[2]

Timeline

• 220–130 BC – Pacuvius uses fulgere.^[2][4]
• c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius describes bright clothes.^[3][4]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of the moon.^[3][4]
• c. 100–24 BC – Nepos uses it of the virtue of Eumenes.^[3][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To shine brightly, flash, glitter, (impersonal) it lightens.^[3]
2. To be bright, resplendent.^[3]
3. (figurative) To shine, be conspicuous.^[3]

Word family

• affulgeō
• circumfulgeō
• cōnfulgeō
• effulgeō
• fulgetrum
• fulgidus
• fulgō
• fulgor
• fulgur
• fulmen
• interfulgeō
• offulgeō

Related words

• fulgidulus
• fulgurālis
• fulgurātiō
• fulgurātor
• fulgurātūra
• fulgureus
• fulguriō
• fulgurō
• flagrō
• English fulgent
• English refulgent

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper