Etymologically
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reticeo

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [rɛˈtɪ.ke.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [reˈtiː.t͡ʃe.o][1]

Forms

reticeō (present infinitive reticēre, perfect active reticuī); second conjugation, no supine stem, third person-only in the passive[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin re- + taceō (“to be silent”).[2][1] De Vaan derives ⟨taceō⟩ from Proto-Italic *tak-ē- and Proto-Indo-European *tHk-eh₁- (“to be silent”), cognate with Umbrian taçez (“silent”) and Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌽 (þahan, “to keep silent”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan's verb ⟨taceō⟩ is attested from Naevius;[3] the OLD's earliest examples of ⟨reticeō⟩ are from Plautus, of a woman who keeps quiet when she sees something done wrong, and transitively: “whatever you do, I won't keep this quiet”.[2]

Semantic evolution

It is to keep silent, and with the dative to give no answer: in Livy a man said he would not keep silent before a private citizen.[2] Pliny the Elder uses it of birds, a young nightingale and its teacher taking turns to sing and fall silent.[2] Transitively it is to leave something unsaid, keep it secret, from Plautus and Cicero on.[2]

Church Latin has it for be silent, keep secret, conceal.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of keeping silent and of keeping a secret.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero.[2][5]
  • 59 BC–AD 17 – Livy with the dative, “to give no reply”.[2][5]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder of nightingales.[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To keep silent; of birds and instruments, to fall silent.[2][6][1][4]
  2. (with dative) To give no reply to.[2][1]
  3. (transitive) To leave unsaid, keep secret, conceal.[2][1][4]

Word family

  • reticentia

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes silēre, to be still, from tacēre, not to speak;[7] reticēre is to keep to oneself what one has to say, the opposite of ēloquī, while obticēre is not to answer someone who asks.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g 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 de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper