Etymologically
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reduco

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [rɛˈduː.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [reˈduː.ko][1]

Forms

redūcō (present infinitive redūcere, perfect active redūxī, supine reductum); third conjugation, irregular short imperative[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin re- + duco (“to lead”).[2][1][3] The spelling reddūcō is also found, as in Lucretius and Terence.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, in the Captivi, says “we are bringing him back here from Elis”, and Ennius uses it of bringing people home.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to lead or bring back, and to bring home from captivity or exile.[2][4] Caesar uses it of withdrawing an army, and Virgil of saving companions from death.[2] It meant to draw back, as an arm before a blow, and gradum redūcere to retire.[2] It meant to bring back a season, to revive a practice, to bring someone back to a state of mind, and to recall to mind.[2][1] Caesar uses it of bringing a situation to a certain state, and Seneca of reducing a speed.[2]

In medieval Latin it meant to subjugate.[1] English reduce is recorded in the late 14th century as “bring back”, through Old French.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of bringing a man home.[2][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of withdrawing an army.[2][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of a returning summer.[2][5]
  • late 14th century – English reduce is recorded.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To lead or bring back; to bring home.[2][4]
  2. To withdraw troops.[2][1]
  3. To draw back, gradum redūcere to retire.[2]
  4. To bring back, restore, revive.[2][1]
  5. To recall to mind.[2][1]
  6. To bring to a state; to reduce, bring down.[2][1]
  7. (Medieval Latin) To subjugate.[1]

Word family

  • reductiō
  • reductor
  • redux
  • sēmireductus
  • reductō
  • reductus
  • abdūcō
  • addūcō
  • circumdūcō
  • condūcō
  • dēdūcō
  • dīdūcō
  • dūcō
  • ēdūcō
  • indūcō
  • intrōdūcō
  • English reduce

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com