Etymologically
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invoco

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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

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