liquesco

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [lɪˈkʷeːs.koː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [liˈkʷɛs.ko]^[1]

Forms

liquēscō (present infinitive liquēscere, perfect active licuī); third conjugation, no passive, no supine stem^[1]

Etymology

It is from liqueō “to be liquid” with the inchoative suffix -scō.^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨liqueō⟩ to Proto-Italic *(w)likʷ-ē- (“to be liquid”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *wleykʷ- (“to make moist”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

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

Semantic evolution

It meant to become liquid, melt, as in Livy's melting snow and Virgil's wax, and to become clear and limpid, of water standing a while.^[2][5][6] Ovid used it of corpses that putrefy, the grammarians of the liquid consonants merging with others, and Cicero figuratively of growing soft, effeminate.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of melting wax.^[5][4]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of melting snow.^[6][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To melt, become liquid.^[2]
2. To become clear.^[2]
3. To putrefy, (figurative) to grow soft, effeminate.^[6]

Word family

• colliquēscō
• dēliquēscō
• ēliquescō

Related words

• liqueō
• liquidus
• liquor
• liquefaciō

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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.
6. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press