Etymologically
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plango

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈpɫaŋ.ɡoː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈplaŋ.ɡo][1]

Forms

plangō (present infinitive plangere, perfect active plānxī, supine plānctum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *plāngō (“to hit”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₂-n-g- (“to hit”), a nasal present of the root also in plāga “blow”.[2][1] Cognate with Ancient Greek πλάζω (plázō, “to drive off course”), Ancient Greek πλήσσω (plḗssō, “to strike”), Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍆𐌻𐍉𐌺𐌿𐌽 (faiflokun, “they beat”) and Lithuanian plakù (“I beat”).[2][3][4] De Vaan explains “mourn” from “hit”, through beating one's breast.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Lucretius, who writes of waves beating against rocks.[2][4] Köbler dates Lucretius 96–55 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to beat or strike with a noise, as women beat drums in Catullus, and to beat the breast or head in mourning.[3] From this it came to mean to mourn for or bewail the dead, as the people of Memphis mourn the bull Apis in Tibullus.[3]

Its noun plānctus gave Old French plainte and English plaint about 1200, and plaintiff and English complain also go back to it.[6] The verb survives in Italian piangere (“to weep”), French plaindre and Romanian plânge.[1] Its participle gave English plangent in 1822.[6]

Timeline

  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius speaks of waves beating rocks.[4][5]
  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus has women beating drums.[3][5]
  • c. 1200 – English plaint is recorded.[6]
  • 1822 – English plangent is recorded.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To beat, strike (with a noise).[3]
  2. To beat (the breast) in mourning.[3]
  3. To mourn for, bewail.[3]

Word family

  • dēplangō
  • plānctus
  • plangor
  • plāga
  • plāgiger
  • plēctō
  • English plaint
  • English plangent
  • English complain

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com