invicem

Forms

invicem (not comparable)^[1] It is often written separately, in vicem, and the poets split it as inque vicem.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is in (“in, into”) with ⟨vicem⟩, the accusative of vicis (“turn, change”).^[2][4][1] De Vaan derives ⟨vicis⟩ from Proto-Italic *wik- (“turn”) and Proto-Indo-European *uik- (“a turn”), perhaps from a root “to tie, turn” shared with vinciō (“to bind”).^[5] In Late and Medieval Latin the adverb was reinterpreted as an accusative and used as a pronoun.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler gives Caesar as its first author,^[6] who says of the Suebi that the men at home are under arms “in their turn” the next year, while the others stay at home.^[2]

Semantic evolution

With a genitive it is in place of, as Livy's foot soldiers taking the empty horses of fallen riders.^[2] It is in one's turn, as in Caesar, each for or against the other, mutually, as Livy's minds that should not be stirred against each other, and by turns or alternately, as in Hirtius.^[2][3][1]

In Late and Medieval Latin it is also a pronoun, each other,^[1] and Church Latin has ad invicem, among themselves.^[7] Köbler finds it often in the law codes and formulae.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 50 BC – Caesar in the sense “in turn”.^[2][6]
• c. 50 BC – Hirtius in the sense “alternately”.^[2][6]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy in the sense “mutually”.^[2][6]

Meanings

Adverb

1. (with genitive) In place of.^[2]
2. In one's turn, each in turn.^[2][3][1][7]
3. Mutually, reciprocally, each other.^[2][3][1][7]
4. By turns, alternately.^[2][3][1]

Pronoun

1. (Late Latin, Medieval Latin) Each other;^[1] ad invicem, among themselves.^[7]

Related words

• vicis
• vicissim
• mūtuō

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes vicissim, a succession, on the other hand and in turn, from invicem and mūtuō, a mutual acting and suffering between two parties.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b c d Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper