lacesso

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɫaˈkɛs.soː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [laˈt͡ʃɛs.so]^[1]

Forms

lacessō (present infinitive lacessere, perfect active lacessīvī or lacessiī, supine lacessītum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from laciō “to entice” with the intensive suffix -essō.^[2][1] De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic ⟨*lak-i-⟩ “to draw, pull”, and Walde and Hofmann connected it with ⟨*lakʷ-⟩, the root of laqueus “noose”, but de Vaan notes that the Latin forms point to ⟨*lak-⟩, not ⟨*lakʷ-⟩, and suggests a link with lacer “torn”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of challenging someone to a contest.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to challenge to a contest, as in Plautus, and to provoke to hostile action, as in the Rhetorica ad Herennium, and Cicero has ferrō lacessere “to provoke with the sword”.^[2][5] Cicero also used it for arousing an action or feeling, and for harassing, vexing, and Virgil for assailing with repeated blows.^[2]

It was used of challenging an enemy to battle, and Terence uses it of provoking with words.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a challenge.^[2][4]
• 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it of provoking.^[2][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of repeated blows.^[2][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To challenge.^[2]
2. To provoke, rouse.^[2]
3. To harass, vex.^[2]
4. To assail with blows.^[2]

Word family

• illacessītus
• lacessitio
• lacessitor

Related words

• laciō
• dēliciae
• illiciō
• ēliciō

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.