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inquieto

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word inquieto

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
4 BC–65 AD, Seneca
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*kʷieh₁-ti-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin inquietus
French inquiet
Latin inquieto
French inquiéter

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɪŋ.kʷiˈeː.toː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [iŋ.kʷiˈɛː.to][1]

Forms

inquiētō (present infinitive inquiētāre, perfect active inquiētāvī, supine inquiētātum); first conjugation[1] A deponent form inquiētor also occurs.[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin inquiētus (“restless”) + -ō.[3][2] De Vaan derives quiētus (“at rest”) from quiēs “rest”, which goes back to Proto-Italic *kwiē-ti- and Proto-Indo-European *kʷieh₁-ti- (“rest, peace”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first quotations in the OLD are in Seneca, who writes of a man who began to harass his dinner guests, and in Quintilian, who calls it unseemly to fidget with one's nose.[3]

Semantic evolution

It is to disturb a person's peace, trouble or harass: Pliny the Younger says he is troubled by no rumours, and by so many complaining petitions.[3][5] In law it is to trouble someone with proceedings: Ulpian says debtors should not be pressed for the principal.[3] It is also to disquiet the mind, as envy does in Seneca, and to interfere with a state of affairs: Tacitus writes of disturbing a victory and delaying peace.[3] Church Latin glosses it to disturb, disquiet.[6]

Timeline

  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca of harassing guests and of envy.[3][7]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian of fidgeting.[3][5][7]
  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus of disturbing a victory.[3][7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To disturb, trouble, harass (a person); to fidget with.[3][5][1][6]
  2. (law) To trouble with legal proceedings, press claims against.[3]
  3. To disquiet, agitate (the mind).[3][6]
  4. To interfere with, disturb (a state of affairs).[3]

Word family

  • inquiētātiō
  • inquietator

References

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

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Inquieto.” Etymologically, 20 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/inquieto. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·