Etymologically
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resolvo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [rɛˈsɔɫ.woː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [reˈs̬ɔl.vo][1]

Forms

resolvō (present infinitive resolvere, perfect active resolvī, supine resolūtum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from re- “back” and solvō “to loosen”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of paying back money, and Cato, of settling up.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to loosen, undo, as Catullus' bonds and Ovid's unyoking of horses, in Virgil ōra resolvere to break silence, in Ovid to open the veins, and in Virgil to solve a puzzle.[2][5] In Ovid it meant to free from bonds, in Celsus to unbandage a wound, and in Horace to release from a burden.[2] From Lucretius it meant to break up into parts, melt, and in Pliny the Elder to soften.[2] In Virgil it meant to relax the limbs in sleep, and in Celsus to exhaust, paralyse, and loosen the bowels.[2] In Seneca it meant to make lax, in Tacitus to relax discipline, and in Virgil to end, cancel, and in Petronius to refute.[2] Lewis and Short note it is not frequent before Augustus.[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to loosen, unbind, release, open, relax, separate, resolve.[7] It survives in Italian risolvere and French résoudre, and English resolve came in the late 14th century, first “to melt, dissolve”.[1][3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of paying back.[2][4]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of breaking up.[2][4]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of solving a puzzle.[2][4]
  • late 14th century – English resolve is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To loosen, undo; to break silence; to open; to solve.[2]
  2. To free; to unbandage; to release.[2]
  3. To break up; to melt, dissolve; to soften.[2]
  4. To relax; to exhaust; to paralyse.[2]
  5. To make lax; to relax (discipline).[2]
  6. To pay back; to discharge (a vow).[2]
  7. To end, settle; to cancel; to refute.[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 o p q 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