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polluceo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word polluceo

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Confidence
Probable
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Naevius
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*leyk-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [pɔlˈluː.ke.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [polˈluː.t͡ʃe.o][1]

Forms

pollūceō (present infinitive pollūcēre, perfect active pollūxī, supine pollūctum); second conjugation[1]

Etymology

Nussbaum analyses it as a causative Proto-Italic *por-loik-eie- (“to make available, offer”), from por- and the stem of licet “it is allowed”, so that it first meant to make something available to someone.[2][3][1] De Vaan finds the traditional link with lūceō “to shine”, still given by the OLD, semantically unconvincing.[2][4] The spelling poloucta in an inscription from Sora of about 150 BC is taken as hypercorrect or a deliberate archaism.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Naevius, who has the perfect pollūxī.[2] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

In religious language it meant to offer as a sacrifice, place on the altar, as Cato's offering of wine to Jupiter of the feast.[4][6][7] From this it meant to serve up a meal, as Plautus' house where nothing is served, and Plautus' girl who says she is not an offering for the village.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses the perfect pollūxī.[2][5]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of serving up food.[4][5]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of an offering to Jupiter.[6][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To offer as a sacrifice, offer up.[4]
  2. To serve up (a meal).[4]

Word family

  • pollūcibilis
  • polluctūra
  • polluctus
  • pollūctē

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
Cite this entry

“Polluceo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/polluceo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·