Etymologically
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iuvo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈjʊ.woː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈjuː.vo][1]

Forms

iuvō (present infinitive iuvāre, perfect active iūvī, supine iūtum); first conjugation[1] An inscription has iouent, and Accius has a present iuvere.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *ijow-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₁i-h₁euH- (“to help”), a reduplicated present.[2][1] The perfect and participle point to an earlier stem *iuwa-, and the present may be an iterative or a back-formation from adiuvō.[2] Cognate with Sanskrit अवति (ávati, “helps, protects”) and Old Irish con·oí (“protects”).[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found in the Carmen Arvale and in Plautus, as a prayer to Jupiter to help.[2][3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was to help or assist a person, to promote a cause or back an opinion, and of things to benefit or be of use, as in quid iuvat? “what use is it?”.[3][6] It was to improve things, as harrowing improves a field, and to delight or please.[3]

Its compound adiuvāre gave Late Latin adiūta, Old French aide and English aid.[7] It survives as Italian giovare.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus prays to Jupiter to help.[3][5]
  • 170–c. 90 BC – Accius has a present iuvere.[2][5]
  • early 15th century – English aid is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To help, assist.[3][8]
  2. To promote, further; to back up.[3]
  3. To benefit, be of use.[3][6]
  4. To improve, strengthen.[3]
  5. To delight, please.[3][1]

Word family

  • adiuvō
  • dēiuvō
  • iūcundus
  • praeiuvō

References

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