linquo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈlɪŋ.kʷoː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈliŋ.kʷo]^[1]

Forms

linquō (present infinitive linquere, perfect active līquī, supine lictum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *linkʷ-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *li-n-kʷ- (“to leave”), a nasal present of the root Proto-Indo-European *leykʷ-.^[2][1] Cognate with Sanskrit रिणक्ति (riṇákti, “leaves”), Ancient Greek λείπω (leípō, “to leave”), Old Irish léicid (“lets go, leaves”), Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍈𐌰𐌽 (leihwan, “to lend”) and English loan.^[2][3][1] Its perfect and participle continue the inherited perfect *(le-)loikʷ- and participle *likʷto-.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Naevius, who tells how Aeneas left the city of Troy.^[2][3] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to leave or quit a place, and to forsake or abandon a person, as a slave who leaves his master under siege in Plautus.^[3] It also meant to give up an activity or feeling, as in Virgil's fugae nē linque labōrem, and to leave something behind or let it remain, as Plautus' wolves left among the sheep.^[3][5] On one's death it meant to leave, bequeath.^[3] In prose the compound relinquō was more common.^[2]

Through its compounds it is the source of English relinquish, English delinquent and English relic.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it of Aeneas leaving Troy.^[3][4]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of abandoning a master.^[3][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of giving up an effort.^[3][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To leave, quit (a place).^[3]
2. To forsake, abandon (a person).^[3]
3. To give up (an activity, feeling).^[3]
4. To leave behind, let remain.^[3]
5. To leave at one's death, bequeath.^[3]

Word family

• dēlinquō
• relinquō

Related words

• English relinquish
• English relic
• English loan

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com