mancipo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈmaŋ.kɪ.poː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈman̠ʲ.t͡ʃi.po]^[1]

Forms

mancipō (present infinitive mancipāre, perfect active mancipāvī, supine mancipātum); first conjugation^[1] Also mancupō.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from manceps “purchaser, contractor” with the verb suffix -ō; ⟨manceps⟩ is from manus “hand” and capiō “to take”.^[2][1][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus' Curculio, of selling.^[2][5] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to transfer property by mancipium, the formal act of sale, to alienate, sell, as in Plautus; and figuratively to make over, surrender, give up, as in Tacitus.^[2][5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to deliver up, give title to, transfer.^[7] English borrowed it as mancipate.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][6]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it figuratively.^[2][6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To transfer by formal sale, alienate, sell.^[2]
2. To make over, surrender.^[2]

Word family

• ēmancipō
• mancipātiō
• mancipatus
• remancipō

Related words

• manceps
• mancipium

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson