Etymologically
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indulgeo

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɪnˈdʊɫ.ɡe.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [inˈdul̠ʲ.d͡ʒe.o][1]

Forms

indulgeō (present infinitive indulgēre, perfect active indulsī, supine indultum); second conjugation[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[2][3] De Vaan takes it as probably a compound verb, Proto-Italic *-dolχ-ē-, whose first part may be ⟨*en-⟩ “in”, the negative ⟨*n̥-⟩ or ⟨*endo⟩.[2] He considers a connection with the root Proto-Indo-European *delǵʰ- (“to be hard, get fixed”), and best a stative ⟨*n̥-dl̥ǵʰ-eh₁-⟩ “not to be hard towards”, from a negated adjective “not hard”.[2] Havet compared Ancient Greek ἐνδελεχής (endelekhḗs, “continuous”), and others langueō (“to be faint”);[4][2][5] Lewis & Short compare dulcis (“sweet”).[4][2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Terence.[2] In the Heauton timorumenos a man is told: nimium illī … indulgēs, “you are too indulgent to him”.[3]

Semantic evolution

With a dative it is to be indulgent or lenient to someone, to let him have his way, and to make allowance for something, as Cicero tells Tiro to take care of his health.[3] Of patrons and gods it is to look kindly on someone (Virgil: one to whose years and birth the fates are kind).[3] It also means giving free play to feelings and desires, and with sibi indulging oneself; in Virgil's Georgics it is to give vines room in their rows.[3] With a dative of a pursuit it is to take pleasure in or devote oneself to it, as Cicero's men who scorn old friendships and give themselves to new ones.[3] Transitively it is to grant something as a favour, as in Livy.[3]

Church Latin glosses it “grant, forgive, be indulgent, bestow, be forbearing”.[6] English indulge (1630s) is a back-formation from indulgence, from indulgentia, or directly from the Latin verb.[7]

Timeline

  • 190–159 BC – Terence of an indulgent father.[3][8]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of indulging feelings and new friendships.[3][8]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil of favouring fates.[3][8]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy, transitive, “to grant”.[3][8]
  • 1630s – English indulge.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To be indulgent or lenient (to); to make allowance (for).[3][1][6]
  2. To show favour, be kind (to).[3][1]
  3. To give free rein (to feelings or desires); (with sibi) to indulge oneself.[3][1]
  4. To take pleasure (in), devote oneself (to).[3][1]
  5. (transitive) To grant, concede, bestow;[3][1][6] (Ecclesiastical Latin) to forgive.[3][1][6]

Word family

  • indulgentia
  • indulgitās
  • indultor
  • indultum
  • indultus
  • perindulgens
  • indulgēns
  • indulgenter
  • English indulge

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d 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 c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de