Etymologically
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periclitor

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [pɛˈriː.klɪ.tɔr][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [peˈriː.kli.tor][1]

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

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