Etymologically
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imploro

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɪmˈpɫoː.roː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [imˈplɔː.ro][1]

Forms

implōrō (present infinitive implōrāre, perfect active implōrāvī, supine implōrātum); first conjugation[1] It is also spelled inplōrō.[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin in- + plōrō (“to cry out, wail”).[2][1][3] De Vaan finds no etymology for ⟨plōrō⟩, and finds Szemerényi's derivation from a dissimilated *prōrō unlikely.[4] The TLL compares the formation of invocō (“to call upon”) and inclāmō (“to call out to”).[3] Paul's epitome of Festus records an archaic ⟨endoplōrātō⟩, glossed “cry out with complaint”, and explains ⟨implōrāre⟩ as asking with tears.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan gives Plautus as its first author.[4] In the Rudens a girl cries vostram ego implōrō fidem, agricolae, “I beg your protection, farmers”.[2]

Semantic evolution

It is to ask for help or protection with earnest entreaty, as in Plautus, and to call on a person or a god for aid, as in Cicero's “whom shall the allies call upon?”.[2][5] Cicero also appeals to a person's knowledge or memory and to the laws and the rights of citizens.[2]

Church Latin glosses it “implore, beseech”.[6] English implore (c. 1500) comes from it, partly through French.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of begging for protection.[4][2][8]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of calling on persons, gods and laws.[2][8]
  • c. 1500 – English implore.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To ask for (help, protection) with earnest entreaty; to beg.[2][1][5]
  2. To call on (a person, a god) for aid; to invoke, appeal to.[2][1]
  3. To appeal to (laws, rights, a person's memory).[2]

Word family

  • implōrātiō
  • implōrābilis

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de