Etymologically
Log in

sagino

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 20 October 2026 at 03:58. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [saˈɡiː.noː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [saˈd͡ʒiː.no][1]

Forms

sagīnō (present infinitive sagīnāre, perfect active sagīnāvī, supine sagīnātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin sagīna (“fattening”) + -ō.[2][1][3] The OLD calls sagīna of unknown origin, and Walde and Köbler unexplained;[2][4][5] Wiktionary mentions a possible link with Proto-Indo-European *seh₂- (“to satisfy”).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first quotation is Varro's, of oxen fattened for the public sacrifices.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

It is to fatten animals and poultry for eating: Varro has young pigeons, Columella birds fattened with dumplings and a horse with barley and vetch, and Propertius a pig.[3][2] Of people it is to feed lavishly, to stuff full: the elder Seneca has a praetor stuffed at a deadly dinner, and Curtius a body fattened.[2][3] Church Latin glosses it to feed, fatten, cram full or nourish.[6]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro of oxen fattened for sacrifice.[2][5]
  • 57/46–12 BC – Propertius of a fattened pig.[3][5]
  • 1st century AD – Columella of fattening birds and a horse.[3][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To fatten (animals, poultry) for eating.[2][3][1][6]
  2. To feed lavishly, cram, stuff full; to nourish.[2][1][6]

Word family

  • sagīnātiō
  • sagīnārium

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ Walde, Alois (1906), Lateinisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson