Etymologically
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obequito

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɔˈbɛ.kʷɪ.toː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [oˈbɛː.kʷi.to][1]

Forms

obequitō (present infinitive obequitāre, perfect active obequitāvī, supine obequitātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin ob- (“towards, against”) + equitō (“to ride”).[2][3][1] The verb is made from eques (“horseman”),[2] which de Vaan derives from equus (“horse”), from Proto-Italic *ekwo- and Proto-Indo-European *h₁eḱ-u- (“horse”).[4] Cognate with Sanskrit अश्व (áśva-, “horse”) and Ancient Greek ἵππος (híppos, “horse”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler and the TLL find it first in Livy,[5][3] who uses it of Hannibal riding up to a gate of Rome and surveying the walls.[3][6]

Semantic evolution

It means to ride up to or ride round, usually in a hostile way, with a dative or used absolutely.[2][6] Livy uses it of horsemen riding up to the camp and to the gates, and of a column held back by riders harassing it.[3][7] Valerius Maximus has a Celtiberian riding up most insolently, and Curtius riders circling the walls and an enemy riding about in sight.[3][6] Quintilian uses it figuratively of an orator who, faced with the windings of law, will not skirmish about.[3][7]

The TLL notes that the perfect occurs only in the summaries of Livy.[3] In a friendly sense, Florus uses it of a commander riding along his lines, and Ammianus of riding along the ranks;[6][3] Ammianus also uses it with an accusative of walls.[6][3]

Timeline

  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of Hannibal riding up to the gate.[3][5]
  • 1st century AD – Curtius uses it of riders before walls.[3][5]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it figuratively of an orator.[3][5]
  • c. 390 AD – Ammianus uses it with an accusative and of riding along ranks.[6][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To ride up to (with dative), ride round, especially as an enemy.[2][6]
  2. (figurative) To skirmish about.[3][7]
  3. To ride along (troops) in a friendly way.[6][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  7. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier