Etymologically
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percipio

Etymology and origin of the Latin word percipio

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (capiō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [pɛrˈkɪ.pi.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [perˈt͡ʃiː.pi.o][1]

Forms

percipiō (present infinitive percipere, perfect active percēpī, supine perceptum); third (-iō variant) conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from per- “through, thoroughly” and capiō “to take”.[2][1][3][4] An old tragic poet has the pluperfect ⟨percēpset⟩.[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of perceiving and of feelings seizing someone, and Pacuvius, of reaping a reward.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

In Cicero it meant to gather a crop, harvest, and in Pacuvius to acquire, earn, reap.[2] In Ovid it meant to catch in flight, and in Vitruvius to absorb.[2] From Plautus it meant to perceive, notice, and in Accius to grasp with the mind, understand.[2] In Lucretius of natural forces, and in Plautus and Terence of feelings, it meant to seize, grip, as Terence's odium mē percipit “disgust seizes me”.[2][7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to take, partake, receive, perceive, learn, auribus percipere to listen.[8] It survives in French percevoir and Spanish percibir, and Old North French gave English perceive about 1300, perceptiō gave English perception.[1][4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of perceiving.[2][6]
  • 220–130 BC – Pacuvius uses it of reaping a reward.[2][6]
  • 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses it of understanding.[2][6]
  • c. 1300 – English perceive is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To gather, harvest.[2]
  2. To acquire, earn, reap.[2]
  3. To catch; to absorb.[2]
  4. To perceive, notice.[2]
  5. To grasp mentally, understand.[2]
  6. Of forces or feelings, to seize.[2]

Word family

  • imperceptus
  • perceptibilis
  • perceptiō
  • perceptor
  • perceptum
  • percipibilis
  • perceptus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Percipio.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/percipio. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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