Etymologically
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reclamo

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [rɛˈkɫaː.moː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [reˈklaː.mo][1]

Forms

reclāmō (present infinitive reclāmāre, perfect active reclāmāvī, supine reclāmātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin re- + clāmō (“to shout”).[2][1][3] De Vaan takes clāmō as a verb formed from a noun such as Proto-Italic *klām-o/ā- (“shout(ing)”), from Proto-Indo-European *kl̥h₁-m(o)-.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Lucretius.[4][5] The TLL notes that Lucretius scans the first syllable long, while Virgil, Horace and Valerius Flaccus have it short.[3]

Semantic evolution

It is to cry out in protest, object loudly: Cicero writes that whole theatres cry out if a little fault is made.[2] With the dative it is to protest against something, as legions against promises in Cicero, and Phaedrus has everyone crying out that an injury must be punished.[2] In poetry it is to call out in response or echo: Valerius Flaccus has a cry of ⟨Hylan⟩ echoed through the wilds, and Statius fields that echo with laments.[2] In the Digest it is to appeal for one's freedom.[2] Church Latin glosses it to cry out against, contradict loudly.[6] English reclaim comes from it, partly through Old French, from the early 14th century, first of calling back a hawk.[7]

Timeline

  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it.[4][3][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of theatres crying out.[2][5]
  • c. 15 BC–c. 50 AD – Phaedrus of crying out for punishment.[2][5]
  • c. 45–96 AD – Statius of echoing fields.[2][5]
  • early 14th century – English reclaim.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To cry out in protest, object loudly, contradict.[2][8][1][6]
  2. To call out in response; of places, to echo, resound.[2][1]
  3. (law) To appeal for one's freedom.[2]

Word family

  • reclāmātiō
  • reclāmitō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press