migro

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈmɪ.ɡroː], [ˈmɪɡ.roː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmiː.ɡro], [ˈmiɡ.ro]^[1]

Forms

migrō (present infinitive migrāre, perfect active migrāvī, supine migrātum); first conjugation^[1] The first syllable is normally long in dactylic verse, short in Manilius and sometimes in comedy.^[2] Cicero has the old form migrassit for migrāverit.^[2]

Etymology

It is probably from Proto-Italic *migros (“changing”), a verb formed from an adjective.^[3][1] De Vaan takes that adjective as a derivative of the stem Proto-Indo-European *h₂migʷ-, which is also seen in Ancient Greek ἀμείβω (ameíbō, “to change”); he notes that a labiovelar suffix is rare in PIE.^[3][2][1] See also meō “to go”.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

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

Semantic evolution

It meant to change one's residence, to move, as in Plautus and Terence, and of nomads to move from place to place.^[2][5] In Lucretius it meant to pass into a new condition or form, and in Cicero ex vītā migrāre meant to depart this life.^[2] Livy used it transitively, to move belongings, and Cicero figuratively, to evade a law.^[2]

It survives in Italian migrare, French migrer and Spanish migrar.^[1] Its participle migrātus gave English migrate in the 1690s, and the noun migrātiō gave English migration in the 1610s.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of moving house.^[2][4]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of passing into a new form.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses ex vītā migrāre of dying.^[2][4]
• 1610s – English migration is recorded.^[6]
• 1690s – English migrate is recorded.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To change one's residence, to move; to migrate.^[2]
2. To pass into a new condition or form, ex vītā migrāre, to die.^[2]
3. To move (belongings); to set aside (a law).^[2]

Word family

• admigrō
• amigro
• commigrō
• dēmigrō
• ēmigrō
• immigrō
• migrātiō
• migrator
• praemigrō
• remigrō
• sēmigrō
• trānsmigrō

Related words

• meō
• English migrate
• English migration

References

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