polleo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈpɔl.le.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpɔl.le.o]^[1]

Forms

polleō (present infinitive pollēre); second conjugation, no perfect or supine stems^[1]

Etymology

McCone and Rix derive it from *polnē-, Proto-Indo-European *pl̥-n-eh₁-, a stative verb built on the nasal present of the root *pleh₁- “to fill”, so “to be full”, then “to be strong”.^[2][1] The same root is in pleō “to fill” and plēnus “full”, and Old Irish do·lin (“overflows”) continues the same nasal present.^[2] The OLD calls it doubtful, and Lewis and Short took it from potis and valeō.^[3][4] Festus reports an old spelling polet.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Naevius.^[2] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to be strong, powerful, to exert power or influence, as Cicero's wisdom that bids one be powerful and rule, and Caesar's men who were most powerful.^[3][6] It also meant to have importance, to carry weight, as Cicero says how much it counts in this city to bow to the times.^[3] Of medicines and plants it meant to be effective.^[6]

Its compound aequipollēns “of equal power” gave English equipollent, and the OLD and others connect pollex “thumb”, the strong finger.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of wisdom that bids one be powerful.^[3][5]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of power.^[6][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To be strong, powerful, to have power or influence.^[3]
2. To have importance, carry weight.^[3]
3. (of remedies) To be effective.^[6]

Word family

• antepolleō
• pollentia
• pollex
• praepolleō
• aequipollēns
• omnipollens
• uīnipollens

Related words

• pleō
• plēnus
• valeō
• possum

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. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.