lateo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈɫa.te.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈlaː.te.o]^[1]

Forms

lateō (present infinitive latēre, perfect active latuī); second conjugation, no passive, no supine stem^[1]

Etymology

It is a stative verb inherited from Proto-Italic *latē-, formed from *latos “hidden”, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *l̥h₂-tó- (“hidden”), from the root *leh₂- “to hide”.^[2][1] Cognate with Ancient Greek λανθάνω (lanthánō, “to escape notice”) and Ancient Greek λήθω (lḗthō, “to be hidden”).^[2][3] The TLL finds the exact relation to the Greek words unclear.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus,^[2] who describes people hiding under arches and beds in fear.^[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to hide or lurk, to take shelter, to be out of sight, and to live in obscurity.^[3] It was used of things lying below the surface or latent, as in Ennius, of facts and causes lying hidden, and of things escaping notice.^[3] With an accusative it meant to be unknown to someone.^[3]

Its derivatives include latebra “hiding place” and the frequentative latitō.^[2][1] The participle latēns gave English latent in the mid-15th century.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus describes people hiding in fear.^[3][5]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius speaks of a torch that lay hidden many years.^[3][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil speaks of a hidden harbour.^[3][5]
• mid-15th century – English latent is recorded.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To hide, lurk.^[3]
2. To take shelter.^[3]
3. To be out of sight; to live in obscurity.^[3]
4. To lie hidden, be latent.^[3]
5. To escape notice.^[3]
6. (with accusative) To be unknown to.^[3]

Word family

• interlateo
• latitō
• latebra
• latēscō
• latibulum
• perlateō
• latēns
• latenter

Related words

• dēlitēscō
• latebricola
• latebrōsē
• latebrōsus
• latibulor
• latitābundus
• latitātiō
• oblitēscō
• English latent

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com