Etymologically
Log in

recludo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word recludo

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*kleh₂w-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin claudo
Latin secludo
Latin recludo
Latin includo
Latin discludo
Latin praecludo

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [rɛˈkɫuː.doː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [reˈkluː.do][1]

Forms

reclūdō (present infinitive reclūdere, perfect active reclūsī, supine reclūsum); third conjugation[1] Plautus has the spelling recclūsit.[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin re- + claudō (“to shut”), with ⟨re-⟩ reversing the action.[2][1][3] De Vaan traces ⟨claudō⟩ to Proto-Italic *klaud-e/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂u-d- (“to shut”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are Plautus, of opening a door.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to open a door, as in Plautus; to throw open a building or room; from Virgil to reveal or release by opening, uncover, and to draw a sword; from Horace to disclose, lay bare; in Seneca to undo a situation; and, in the opposite sense, in Ulpian to shut away, store.[2][6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of opening a door.[2][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of uncovering.[2][5]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of disclosing.[2][5]
  • before 223 AD – Ulpian uses it of shutting away.[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To open, throw open.[2][3]
  2. To uncover, release; to draw (a sword).[2]
  3. To disclose, reveal.[2]
  4. To shut away, store.[2]

Word family

  • reclusio

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 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. ^ 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. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
Cite this entry

“Recludo.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/recludo. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·