nitesco

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [nɪˈteːs.koː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [niˈtɛs.ko]^[1]

Forms

nitēscō (present infinitive nitēscere); third conjugation, no passive, no perfect or supine stems^[1]

Etymology

It is the inchoative of niteō “to shine”, with -scō.^[2][1] De Vaan explains ⟨niteō⟩ from a participle ⟨*nitos⟩ “made bright”, but finds no Indo-European root that fits.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gaffiot cites Cicero's Aratea.^[4] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to become bright, begin to shine or glitter, as in Cicero and Virgil, and of animals and plants to take on a healthy sheen, grow sleek, as in Pliny, and Lewis & Short call it poetic and post-Augustan.^[2][6][4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to begin to shine.^[7]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[4][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it.^[4][5]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny uses it of sleek animals.^[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To begin to shine, grow bright.^[2][6]
2. To grow sleek.^[2]

Word family

• ēnitēscō

Related words

• niteō
• nitidus
• nitor

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ 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 Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson