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huc

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word huc

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 235–200 BC, Naevius
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*ǵʰe-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈhuːk][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈuk][1]

Forms

hūc (not comparable)[1] An older form hōc “hither” is found in Plautus, Terence and some later authors.[2][3] With -ne it becomes hūcine.[4]

Etymology

De Vaan explains it from ⟨*hoi-ke⟩, the old locative of hic “this” with the particle -ce, or perhaps from ⟨*hou-ke⟩ (Nussbaum).[3][4][1] The demonstrative goes back to a deictic stem Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰe-.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Naevius on;[3] Plautus has id tibi iam hūc afferam, “I'll bring it here to you at once”.[4]

Semantic evolution

Hūc means “to this place, hither”, and in argument “to this point, to this subject”.[4][1] With verbs of adding it means “to this” (hūc accēdit “add to this”), and it can mean “for this purpose”.[4][1][5] Hūc illūc and hūc et illūc mean “this way and that, to and fro”.[4][5]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – First found in Naevius.[3]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: hūc decem accēdant minae, “add ten minae to this”.[4][6]
  • 204–169 BC – Found in Ennius.[6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero: hūc accēdit summus timor, “to this is added the greatest fear”.[4][6]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. To this place, hither, here.[4][2][1][5]
  2. To this point, to this subject.[4][1]
  3. (with verbs of adding) To this;[4] hūc accēdit, add to this.[4]
  4. To this end, for this purpose.[1][5]
  5. hūc illūc, hūc et illūc, this way and that, to and fro.[4][5]

Word family

References

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

“Huc.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/huc. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·