Etymologically
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rogo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈrɔ.ɡoː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈrɔː.ɡo][1]

Forms

rogō (present infinitive rogāre, perfect active rogāvī, supine rogātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

De Vaan takes it as a verb formed from a noun Proto-Italic *rogo- (“request”) or an adjective “stretching”, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃roǵ-o- (“stretching”), of the arms in begging; the same word may be in rogus “pyre” and ergō.[2] Wiktionary describes the change as “stretch out” > “direct one's words to someone” > “ask”, making it a doublet of regō.[1] Cognate with Old Norse rakr (“straight”).[2] Lewis and Short and Wiktionary also mention a link with precor and procus.[3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus,[2] who uses it of asking a question and asking for gold.[4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to ask someone a question, to question a witness, and to ask for something, including asking to buy or borrow.[4] In public life it had technical senses: the consul asked a senator his opinion (sententiam rogāre), and a magistrate asked the people to vote on a proposal, so that lēgem rogāre meant to propose a law; the proposal was a rogātiō.[4]

Döderlein says that rogāre is the request of an equal asking a courtesy, while ōrō is the plea of an inferior; for questions he contrasts rogāre, wishing to know, with percontor, urgent inquiry.[6] Its compounds include interrogō, abrogō and prōrogō, interrogāre gave English interrogate, and praerogātīvus, the century that voted first, gave English prerogative.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of asking questions and asking for gold.[4][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero as consul asks the senators their opinion.[4][5]
  • late 14th century – English prerogative is recorded.[7]
  • late 15th century – English interrogate is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To ask (a question); to question (a witness).[4]
  2. To ask for, request.[4]
  3. To ask to buy or borrow.[4]
  4. sententiam rogāre, to ask (a senator) his opinion.[4]
  5. (of a magistrate) To put (a proposal) to the people, lēgem rogāre, to propose a law.[4]

Word family

  • abrogō
  • corrogō
  • dērogō
  • ērogō
  • interrogō
  • irrogō
  • obrogō
  • perrogō
  • praerogō
  • prōrogō
  • rogāmentum
  • rogātīcius
  • rogātiuncula
  • rogitātiō
  • regō
  • rogus
  • English interrogate
  • English prerogative

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com