Etymologically
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levo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈɫɛ.woː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈlɛː.vo][1]

Forms

levō (present infinitive levāre, perfect active levāvī, supine levātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin levis (“light in weight”) + -ō.[2][3] The adjective is inherited from Proto-Italic *leχu-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₁legʷʰ-u- (“light”), cognate with Sanskrit रघु (raghú, “fleet”), Ancient Greek ἐλαχύς (elakhús, “small”), Lithuanian leñgvas (“light”) and Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍄𐍃 (leihts, “light”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus,[3] who uses it of relieving a poor girl's poverty.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4] Ennius has an old future perfect levassō.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to make light, and so to relieve someone of a burden, to lessen force or power, and to make pain, toil or grief easier to bear.[2] It also meant to lift or raise up, and to lift off a load.[2] Lewis and Short note that this sense is mostly poetic and post-Augustan.[5]

It survives in Italian levare, French lever and Romanian lua.[1] Through French lever “to raise” it gave English levy, English lever, English levee and English Levant.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of relieving poverty.[2][4]
  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses the old future perfect levassō.[2][4]
  • 86–34 BC – Sallust uses it of raising the fearful by hand.[2][4]
  • c. 1300 – English lever is recorded, from Old French levier.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To lift, raise up.[2]
  2. To lift off (a load).[2]
  3. To relieve, rid (of a burden); to lighten.[2]
  4. To reduce, lessen.[2]
  5. To relieve, alleviate (pain, grief).[2]

Word family

  • allevō
  • ēlevo
  • levāmentum
  • levātiō
  • levātus
  • prōlevo
  • relevō
  • sublevō
  • levis
  • levitās
  • leviter
  • English levy
  • English lever
  • English elevate
  • English relieve
  • English levity

Usage notes

A different verb Latin lēvō, with a long ē, from lēvis “smooth”, meant to make smooth, polish, and to remove hair.[2][3]

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com