neco

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈnɛ.koː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈnɛː.ko]^[1]

Forms

necō (present infinitive necāre, perfect active necāvī, supine necātum); first conjugation^[1] Ennius and Phaedrus have the perfect necuit.^[2]

Etymology

It is from nex “violent death”, from the root Proto-Indo-European *neḱ- (“to perish”).^[2][1] It is related to noceō “to harm” and noxius.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of killing.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant to put to death, kill, as in Plautus, and in Seneca to kill plants.^[2] Döderlein explains that interficere and perimere are the most general words for killing, and lists the more specific ones beside them.^[4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to kill, slay.^[5] Its descendants narrowed to drowning, as Romanian îneca.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of killing.^[2][3]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius has the perfect necuit.^[2][3]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of plants.^[2][3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To kill, put to death.^[2]
2. To kill (plants).^[2]

Word family

• ēnecō
• internecō
• necātor
• necātrīx
• pernecō

Related words

• nex
• noceō
• interficiō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
5. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson