Etymologically
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iacio

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈja.ki.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈjaː.t͡ʃi.o][1]

Forms

iaciō (present infinitive iacere, perfect active iēcī, supine iactum); third (-iō variant) conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *jak-i- (“to throw”), which de Vaan and Schrijver trace to a present Proto-Indo-European *(H)ih₁-k-(i-) of the root *(H)ieh₁- “to throw, let go”.[2][1] Leppänen instead suggests an old aorist *(H)yéh₁kt, to which iaciō was a new present.[1] Cognate with Ancient Greek ἵημι (híēmi, “to send, throw”) and Hittite peye- (“to send”).[2][3] iaceō “to lie” is its stative counterpart, originally “to be thrown down”.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from the Twelve Tables,[2] which order that a man who tries to escape be seized with the hand (manum endō iacitō).[3] Köbler dates the Twelve Tables c. 450 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to throw or hurl, to fling the limbs, to throw something down, to sow seed, to cast dice or anchor, and to throw away or jettison.[3] It was used of giving off light or casting a shadow, of piling up earthworks and laying foundations, and of hurling charges and insults or throwing out remarks.[3]

The compounds have -iciō, as in dēiciō, obiciō and coniciō, and its frequentative is iactō.[2] Iniciō is the source of English inject, and Late Latin iectāre, for iactāre, gave French jeter and English jet.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 450 BC – the Twelve Tables use manum endō iacitō.[3][4]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of throwing dice.[3][4]
  • 170–c. 90 BC – Accius has “throw the light thyrsi!”.[3][4]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses ancorīs iactīs “with anchors cast”.[3][4]
  • c. 1600 – English inject is recorded.[5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To throw, cast, hurl.[3]
  2. To throw down; to sow (seed); to cast (dice, an anchor).[3]
  3. To throw away, jettison.[3]
  4. To give off (light); to cast (a shadow).[3]
  5. To throw up (a mound); to lay (foundations).[3]
  6. To hurl (a charge or insult); to throw out (a remark).[3]

Word family

  • abiciō
  • amiciō
  • circumiciō
  • coniciō
  • dēiciō
  • disiciō
  • iactō
  • iactūra
  • iactus
  • iaculus
  • intericiō
  • obiciō

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 h i j k l m n 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. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com