insimulo

Forms

īnsimulō (present infinitive īnsimulāre, perfect active īnsimulāvī, supine īnsimulātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin in- + simulō (“to imitate, pretend”).^[2][1] The verb simulō is made from similis (“like”),^[1] which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *semali- (“alike, together”) and Proto-Indo-European *sm̥h₂-el-i-.^[3] Cognate with Ancient Greek ὁμαλός (homalós, “equal, level”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus,^[3] who has “you do wrong to accuse an innocent woman”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It means to accuse, charge or blame, and to put forward as a charge, as Plautus' “that crime you charge us with does not befit our family”.^[2] Lewis & Short describe it as making a plausible charge, true or false, against someone, especially falsely.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of accusing an innocent woman.^[2][3][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To accuse, charge, blame, especially falsely.^[2][4][1]
2. To bring forward as a charge, allege.^[2]

Word family

• īnsimulātiō
• insimulātor

Related words

• simulō
• similis

Usage notes

Döderlein says that insimulāre is to accuse undeservedly or slanderously, out of suspicion, as against arguere, the general word, and accūsāre, to impeach in a criminal court.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper