Etymologically
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instigo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word instigo

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Confidence
Probable
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Terence
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*(s)teyg-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ĩːˈstiː.ɡoː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [inˈstiː.ɡo][1]

Forms

īnstīgō (present infinitive īnstīgāre, perfect active īnstīgāvī, supine īnstīgātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from in- and an unattested *stīgō “to prick”, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- (“to be sharp”), though the details are uncertain: it may be a denominative from Proto-Italic *(s)teigos, or a compound of an older *stīgō.[2][1][3] Cognate with stilus, Ancient Greek στίζω (stízō, “to prick, mark”) and Proto-Germanic *stikaną (“to stick, stab”).[1][2] The TLL doubts the connection with īnstinguō and suggests other roots.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Terence, of provoking, and Gaffiot cites Terence's Andria.[2][5] Köbler dates Terence 190–159 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to incite, urge, drive to an action, as Caesar, to urge on in an action, as Virgil, and to provoke to anger, goad, as Terence, and Cicero's īnstīgante tē “at your instigation”.[2][5] From Seneca it meant to rouse feelings or forces.[2] Döderlein explains that incitāre is to urge to an action by bidding, often a laudable one, īnstīgāre to goad.[7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to urge, stimulate, stir up, incite, rouse.[8] English instigate came in the 1540s, from its participle or from īnstīgātiō.[9]

Timeline

  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of provoking.[2][6]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of inciting.[2][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero has īnstīgante tē.[5][6]
  • 1540s – English instigate is recorded.[9]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To incite, urge, drive on; to urge on.[2]
  2. To provoke, goad.[2]
  3. To rouse feelings.[2]

Word family

  • instīgātiō
  • īnstīgātor
  • instīgātrix
  • instīgātus
  • stilus
  • īnstinguō
  • incitō
  • stimulus
  • English instigate
  • English stick

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Instigo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/instigo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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