Etymologically
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iaceo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈja.ke.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈjaː.t͡ʃe.o][1]

Forms

iaceō (present infinitive iacēre, perfect active iacuī, future active participle iacitūrus); second conjugation, no passive, no supine stem except in the future active participle[1]

Etymology

It is the stative counterpart of iaciō “to throw”, so that its first meaning was “to have been thrown down”, hence “to lie”.[2][3][4] Iacio is inherited from Proto-Italic *jak-i-, from Proto-Indo-European *(H)ieh₁- (“to throw”).[2]

Compare Ancient Greek ἵημι (híēmi, “to send, throw”).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards,[2] as in Amphitryon's “as I lay there, I get up”.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant to lie or recline, to lie prostrate or helpless, and of buildings to lie in ruins, as Ennius' broken altars of the fatherland.[3] It meant to lie dead, as Plautus' “each man lies where he stood”, to be brought low or overthrown, as Cicero's ruined friend, and to lie still or be calm.[3]

It meant to be idle, as Cicero's man who preferred to lie idle in peace than flourish in war, to stay somewhere, and of places to lie or extend, and to be low-lying, as Virgil's low Thapsus.[3] Things it meant to lie obscure, as Cicero's “all would lie in darkness without the light of letters”.[3] English adjacent comes from its compound adiacere.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of lying and of the dead.[3][6]
  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of ruined altars.[3][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of idleness and obscurity.[3][6]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of low-lying land.[3][6]
  • early 15th century – English adjacent comes from its compound.[5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To lie, be lying down.[3][1]
  2. To recline, rest.[3][1]
  3. To lie prostrate, helpless; to be ill.[3][1]
  4. (of buildings) To lie in ruins.[3][1]
  5. To be overthrown, brought low.[3][1]
  6. To lie dead.[3][1]
  7. To lie still, (of the sea) to be calm.[3][1]
  8. To be idle, inactive.[3][1]
  9. To stay, linger.[3][1]
  10. (of places) To lie, extend; to be low-lying.[3][1]
  11. To lie (in obscurity).[3]

Word family

  • adiaceō
  • circumiaceō
  • interiaceō
  • obiaceō
  • praeiaceō
  • subiaceō
  • subteriaceō
  • superiaceō
  • iacio
  • English adjacent

Usage notes

Döderlein says cubare is used of living beings and situm esse of lifeless things, while iacere is used of both.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d 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 k l m n o p q r s t u 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper