luceo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈɫuː.ke.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈluː.t͡ʃe.o]^[1]

Forms

lūceō (present infinitive lūcēre, perfect active lūxī); second conjugation, no supine stem^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *l(o)ukē- (“to be light”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *luk-éh₁- (“to be light”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“to shine”) of lūx “light”.^[2][1][3] De Vaan notes that the stative has an unexpected full grade, perhaps from the causative *lowk-éye- or from the root noun, and that the transitive sense “to light” found in Plautus may be old.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Ennius, who speaks of bright lights shining.^[3] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to emit light, shine, of heavenly bodies and fire, as Cicero's star shining with borrowed light, and impersonally lūcet “it is light, day dawns”.^[3][5] Of polished surfaces it meant to shine with reflected light, glitter, and figuratively to be clear, evident, as in Cicero.^[3] Döderlein says lūcēre is a steady brightness, while fulgeō is a glaring one.^[6]

It survives in Italian lucere, French luire and Spanish lucir.^[1] English lucid comes from its adjective lūcidus, recorded in the 1590s.^[7]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of shining lights.^[3][4]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it transitively.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a star.^[3][4]
• 1590s – English lucid is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To shine, give light, lūcet, it is light.^[3][5]
2. To glitter, sparkle.^[3]
3. (figurative) To be evident.^[3]

Word family

• allūceō
• circumlūceō
• collūceō
• dīlūceō
• ēlūceō
• illūceō
• interlūceō
• lūcēscō
• lūcibilis
• lūcidus
• lūmen
• perlūceō

Related words

• lūx
• English lucid

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c 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 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. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com