invito

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɪnˈwiː.toː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [iɱˈviː.to]^[1]

Forms

invītō (present infinitive invītāre, perfect active invītāvī, supine invītātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

Its origin is uncertain.^[1] De Vaan posits a verb Proto-Italic *wītā-je/o- (“to pursue”), from Proto-Indo-European *wih₁-to- (“pursued”), prefixed with in-, the same root as invītus “unwilling”.^[2][1] Job derives it from a frequentative of the root of voveō, but de Vaan objects that frequentatives are built on the participle, which has o-vocalism in vōtus.^[2] The OLD compares Sanskrit वेति (véti, “seeks eagerly”) and Ancient Greek ἵεμαι (híemai, “to strive”), and some connect it with invocō.^[3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus, who has the old form invītassitis.^[2][3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Its first senses were to entertain, treat or regale with food and drink, and to give hospitality or shelter.^[3] From there it meant to invite to a meal or to one's house, as Terence's urging to invite a man, then of places and conditions to attract, as Lucretius' grass that invites the flocks.^[3] It came to mean to urge a course of action, to tempt or incite, and to give occasion for, provoke, as Cicero's people who court flattery.^[3]

It survives in Romanian învita and, as a gaming term, in Spanish and Portuguese envidar.^[1] English invite came into English in the 1530s.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][4]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of inviting a guest.^[3][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of provoking flattery.^[3][4]
• 1530s – English invite is recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To entertain, treat, regale.^[3]
2. To give hospitality to.^[3]
3. To invite (as a guest).^[3]
4. (of places, conditions) To attract.^[3]
5. To urge, request (to a course of action).^[3]
6. To incite, tempt.^[3]
7. To give occasion for, provoke.^[3]

Word family

• invītātiō

Related words

• invītus
• English invite

Usage notes

Gaffiot records a rare adverb invītō “against one's will”, from invītus, quoted from Plautus by Charisius.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.