intoxico

Forms

intoxicō (present infinitive intoxicāre, supine intoxicātum); first conjugation^[1][2]

Etymology

It is a Medieval Latin verb,^[3][4] formed from Latin in- + toxicum (“poison”).^[2][5] The DMLBS compares the Late Latin toxicō (“to poison”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest dated record is in a letter of Gerald of Wales of about 1213, in a figurative sense: affairs are everywhere poisoned by the vice of ingratitude.^[3] Köbler's earliest date for it is 1216.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The verb meant to kill or harm with poison, and also to make something poisonous, such as rivers and springs;^[3][1] its past participle served as an adjective, “poisoned, tainted”.^[3][1] From the start it was used figuratively of corrupting minds and causing spiritual harm: heretics poison words, and envy or false teaching poisons people and nations.^[3][1] The regional dictionaries of Hungary, Poland and Bohemia record the same senses.^[6][7][8]

Du Cange also gives it the sense “to seduce, bewitch”, said of minds.^[9] English borrowed intoxicate in the mid-15th century, first meaning “to poison”;^[5] “to make drunk” came in the 16th century.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 1213 – Gerald of Wales writes of affairs poisoned by ingratitude.^[3]
• 1364 – A court record tells of a man poisoned with a drink.^[3]
• 1406 – A Hungarian charter speaks of poisoned arrows.^[6]
• 1440 – Thomas Bekynton uses it of a teaching that poisons whole nations.^[3]
• mid-15th century – English borrows intoxicate, “to poison”.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. (Medieval Latin) To poison, to harm or kill with poison.^[3][1][4]
2. (Medieval Latin) To make poisonous, contaminate with poison.^[3][6]
3. (Medieval Latin, figurative) To taint, corrupt.^[3][1]

Related words

• toxicum
• English intoxicate

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
2. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
5. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
7. ^ Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
8. ^ Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
9. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre