Etymologically
Log in

incito

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 22:27. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈɪŋ.kɪ.toː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈin̠ʲ.t͡ʃi.to][1]

Forms

incitō (present infinitive incitāre, perfect active incitāvī, supine incitātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin in- + citō (“to set in motion”).[2][3][1] ⟨citō⟩ is the frequentative that replaced cieō (“to stir, move”), which became obsolete in Classical Latin; de Vaan derives ⟨cieō⟩ and its participle ⟨citus⟩ from an aorist Proto-Indo-European *(ḱ)ei(h₂)- (“to start to move”), cognate with Ancient Greek κίνυμαι (kínumai, “to be moved”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are Caesar, of a man who spurred his horse against the enemy (incitātō equō), and Cicero.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

Incitō is to make something move faster, to urge on, with the proverb currentem incitāre, “to spur a willing horse”; and to set in rapid motion, of the revolving sky (Cicero), with sē incitāre “to rush”.[2][6] Catullus uses it of stimulating desire and provoking a sparrow's bites, Columella of promoting a vine's growth.[2] It is to intensify and increase, to arouse feelings, and above all to rouse and encourage people (Cicero: the people already eager were roused more strongly), to incite them to anger or hatred, to provoke, and to stir up revolt.[2][1]

Döderlein distinguishes incitāre, urging an inactive person by bidding or calling on him, usually to something laudable, like hortārī, from īnstīgāre, spurring on a reluctant person with promises or threats, and irrītāre, inflaming a quiet person's passions.[7] Church Latin glosses it “cry out loudly, incite, provoke”.[8] English incite (mid-15th century) came from Old French inciter.[9]

Timeline

  • c. 50 BC – Caesar of spurring a horse.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of the revolving sky and of rousing the people.[2][5]
  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus of a sparrow provoked to bite.[2][5]
  • mid-15th century – English incite, through Old French.[9]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To speed up, urge on, hasten;[2][1] (reflexive) to rush.[2][1]
  2. To set in rapid motion.[2][1]
  3. To stimulate; to promote the growth of.[2]
  4. To intensify, increase.[2][1]
  5. To arouse (feelings); to rouse, encourage, incite (to).[2][1][8]
  6. To provoke to anger; to stir up to revolt.[2][8]

Word family

  • incitābilis
  • incitābulum
  • incitāmentum
  • incitātiō
  • incitātor
  • incitatrix
  • incitātē
  • incitātus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ 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 d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  8. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com