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indo

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word indo

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 250–184 BC, Plautus
Ultimate origins
Latin (in-)Proto-Indo-European (*dʰeh₁-)

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈɪn.doː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈin.do][1]

Forms

indō (present infinitive indere, perfect active indidī, supine inditum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is formed from in- (“in”) and a verb ⟨*-dō⟩, “to put”, also in abdō (“to hide”) and condō (“to put together”).[2][1] Wiktionary traces this verb to Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put”); de Vaan notes that in Latin compounds it merged with dō (“to give”).[1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, Casina: may the gods curse me sī ego in ōs meum hodiē vīnī guttam indidī, “if I have put a drop of wine in my mouth today”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

It is to put or place in or on: Cato's wreath set on the hearth, salt put into water in Plautus, and wooden shoes put on someone's feet (Cicero).[2][5] Plautus also uses it of giving a name: “Six-hundred-strokes” will be your name.[2] Later it is to implant qualities or feelings, as nature gave us mutual love (Seneca), and to introduce customs: Tacitus says Moses brought in new rites opposed to those of all other people.[2] Lewis and Short note it is mostly early or post-Augustan.[5]

Church Latin glosses it “put in, put into, give to, introduce”.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of putting in and of giving a name.[2][4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato of a wreath on the hearth.[5][4]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca of nature implanting love.[2][4]
  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus of introducing rites.[2][4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To put, place (in or on); to insert.[2][1][6]
  2. To give, attach (a name).[2][1]
  3. To implant, instil (a quality); to introduce (customs).[2][1][6]

Word family

  • adindo
  • subindo

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Indo.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/indo. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·