Etymologically
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removeo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [rɛˈmɔ.we.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [reˈmɔː.ve.o][1]

Forms

removeō (present infinitive removēre, perfect active remōvī, supine remōtum); second conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from re- (“back, away”) and moveō “to move”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of removing abstract things, and Cato, of moving things away.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to move back or away, remove, as Caesar's removing of things from sight and Cicero's from a speech, with oculōs removēre “to look away”, and to subtract.[2][5] It meant to send persons away, withdraw troops, as in Cicero, to get rid of, and to banish abstract things, as in Plautus.[2] It meant to remove someone from a position or activity, in law to debar or disqualify, and to set aside, with remōtō iocō “joking apart”.[2] Syncopated forms such as remōrunt and remōsse occur in Horace and Lucretius.[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to take away, remove, set aside.[7] It survives in Italian rimuovere and Spanish remover.[1] Through Old French removoir it is the source of English remove in the early 14th century, and English remote comes from its participle remōtus.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of removing things.[2][4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of moving away.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses remōtō iocō.[2][4]
  • early 14th century – English remove is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To move back, remove; to subtract.[2]
  2. To send away; to withdraw (troops).[2]
  3. To do away with.[2]
  4. To remove (from a position), (law) to debar.[2]
  5. To set aside, remōtō iocō, joking apart.[2]

References

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