quiesco

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kʷiˈeːs.koː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kʷiˈɛs.ko]^[1]

Forms

quiēscō (present infinitive quiēscere, perfect active quiēvī, supine quiētum); third conjugation, no passive^[1]

Etymology

It is from a stem *quiē- (as in quiēs “rest”) with the inchoative suffix -scō.^[2][1][3] Its perfect forms are often contracted, as ⟨quiēsse⟩ for ⟨quiēvisse⟩.^[2] Etymonline traces ⟨quiēs⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of sleeping and of keeping silent, and Ennius, of resting.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to sleep, fall asleep, to rest from toil, as Cicero's time for action and time for rest, of fallow land to lie idle, and of the dead to rest, as Ovid's “may his bones rest more happily”.^[2][3][6] From Cicero it meant to take no action, stay quiet, keep out of politics, remain neutral, and also to be silent.^[2] It meant to refrain from violence, remain calm, of forces and conditions to die down, subside, as in Virgil, and of things to be in abeyance.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to cease, rest, be still, be at peace.^[7] English quiesce is recorded from 1821, while English quiet, English quit and English coy come from quiēs and the participle quiētus.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of sleep and of silence.^[2][5]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of rest.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of inaction and neutrality.^[2][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of winds dying down.^[2][5]
• 1821 – English quiesce is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To sleep, fall asleep.^[2]
2. To rest; of land, to lie fallow; of the dead, to rest.^[2]
3. To do nothing, keep quiet; to remain neutral.^[2]
4. To be silent.^[2]
5. To remain peaceful, keep calm.^[2]
6. To die down, subside, abate.^[2]
7. To be in abeyance, remain dormant.^[2]

Word family

• acquiēscō
• conquiēscō
• interquiēscō
• perquiescō
• quiēscentia
• quiētus
• requiēscō
• adquiēscō
• quiētē
• quiētōrium

Related words

• quiēs
• quiētūdō
• English quiet
• English quiesce

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson