nicto

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈnɪk.toː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈnik.to]^[1]

Forms

nictō (present infinitive nictāre, perfect active nictāvī, supine nictātum); first conjugation^[1] Also deponent nictor, and a third-conjugation form.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Italic ⟨*kniktos⟩, which de Vaan takes as the participle of ⟨*kneiɣʷē-⟩, from Proto-Indo-European *kneygʷʰ-, with -ō.^[1] The OLD calls it cognate with cōnīveō “to close the eyes” and compares Gothic 𐌷𐌽𐌴𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌽 (hneiwan, “to bow”) and Old High German hnīgan (“to bow”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Plautus, of winking, and Caecilius has it of fidgeting.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to signal with the eyes, wink, as in Plautus; to open and shut the eyes, blink, as in Pliny; and apparently to move the limbs to and fro, fidget, as in Caecilius.^[2][3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of winking.^[2][4]
• 230/220–168 BC – Caecilius uses it of fidgeting.^[2][4]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny uses it of blinking.^[2][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To blink.^[2][3]
2. To wink, signal with the eyes.^[2]
3. To fidget.^[2]

Word family

• nictātiō

Related words

• nictus
• cōnīveō
• English nictitate

Usage notes

Gaffiot records from Festus a different nictō, nictere “to yelp”, of dogs.^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.