invoco

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈɪn.wɔ.koː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈiɱ.vo.ko]^[1]

Forms

invocō (present infinitive invocāre, perfect active invocāvī, supine invocātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from in- and vocō “to call”.^[2][1][3] Etymonline relates ⟨vocō⟩ to vōx “voice” and Proto-Indo-European *wekʷ- (“to speak”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Naevius, of calling someone to one's side.^[2] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to call to one's side, summon for help, and to call upon gods or the dead, as Plautus' invocō vōs, Larēs viālēs.^[2][6] Plautus also uses it of calling out a mistress's name in throwing dice, and of praying for something.^[2] Livy uses it of invoking promises or laws, and Cicero of invoking Juno.^[2][7] It also meant to address someone by an honorific title.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to call upon, invoke.^[8] It passed through Old French invoquer into English invoke in the late 15th century.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it of summoning.^[2][5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of calling on gods.^[2][5]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of invoking promises.^[2][5]
• late 15th century – English invoke is recorded, through Old French.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To call to one's aid, summon.^[2]
2. To call upon, invoke gods or the dead.^[2][6]
3. To call out a name at dice.^[2]
4. To invoke promises or laws.^[2]
5. To pray for.^[2]
6. To address by a title.^[2]

Word family

• invocātiō
• invocātor

Related words

• vocō
• vōx
• English invoke
• English invocation

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson