periclitor

Forms

perīclitor (present infinitive perīclitārī, perfect active perīclitātus sum); first conjugation, deponent^[1] The participle perīclitātus is also used in a passive sense.^[2] Manuscripts sometimes spell it pere-.^[3]

Etymology

It is a verb from perīculum (“trial, danger”) with the suffix -itō,^[4][1] or rather from the verb perīculor (“to try out, risk”).^[3] De Vaan lists all three under pariō, deriving ⟨perīculum⟩ from Proto-Italic *per-ei-tlo- (“experience”), from the root of experior (“to try”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus,^[5] in whom a husband says he was testing his wife's mind, to see what she would do.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense is to test, try out.^[4][2] From testing came risking: Cicero says the safety of the state should not too often be risked on one man, and Plancus that he chose to risk defending Lepidus rather than seem too cautious.^[4] Intransitively, from Caesar on, it is to be in danger, as when Caesar would rather have the lives of Gauls than of legionaries endangered in the woods;^[4] Celsus says women are endangered by miscarriage.^[4] In law it is to stand trial, and to be at risk for a sum.^[4]

Church Latin has it for being in danger, risking and trying.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of testing.^[4][7]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of risking the state.^[4][7]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar of being in danger.^[4][7]
• 140–180 AD – Gaius of being at risk for a sum.^[4][7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To put to the proof, test, try.^[4][2][1][6]
2. To expose to danger, risk, endanger; to run the risk of.^[4][1]
3. (intransitive) To be in danger or jeopardy.^[4][1][6]
4. (law) To stand trial; to be at risk for a sum.^[4]

Word family

• perīclitābundus
• perīclitātiō

Related words

• perīculum
• experior
• tentō

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes it from tentāre, making an experiment to learn something, and experīrī, learning by experience: perīclitārī is making the trial with courage and contempt for the danger.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper