Etymologically
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percutio

Etymology and origin of the Latin word percutio

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Ennius
Ultimate origin
Latin (quatiō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [pɛrˈkʊ.ti.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [perˈkut.t͡si.o][1]

Forms

percutiō (present infinitive percutere, perfect active percussī, supine percussum); third (-iō variant) conjugation[1] Horace has percustī for percussistī.[2]

Etymology

It is from per- “through” and quatiō “to shake, strike”.[2][1][3] De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic *kwat-i- for ⟨quatiō⟩.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Ennius, of missiles striking.[2] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to strike hard, hit, as in Plautus; to strike dead, and to kill a sacrificial victim, as in Cicero; of missiles and natural forces to beat upon, as in Ennius; to pierce, as in Livy; to stamp, engrave, strike coins, as in Seneca; to cut a vein or make an incision; to dig a trench, as in Pliny; to make a deep impression, strike the mind, as in Terence; and to strike a treaty, as in Ulpian.[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to strike down, kill, wound.[7] Its noun percussiō gave English percussion (early 15th century), and the participle percussus gave English percuss (1550s).[3]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.[2][5]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of hitting.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of killing.[2][5]
  • early 15th century – English percussion is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To strike, hit; to pierce.[2][6]
  2. To strike dead; to kill (a victim).[2]
  3. To stamp, strike (coins).[2]
  4. To cut; to dig.[2]
  5. To strike (the mind), affect deeply.[2]
  6. To strike (a treaty).[2]

Word family

  • dispercutiō
  • impercussus
  • percussibilis
  • percussiō
  • percussor
  • percussura
  • percussus
  • repercutiō
  • quatiō
  • English percussion
  • English percuss

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 k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Percutio.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/percutio. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·