scisco

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈskiːs.koː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈʃis.ko]^[1]

Forms

scīscō (present infinitive scīscere, perfect active scīvī, supine scītum); third conjugation^[1] The perfect forms are always written in full, without syncope, and Priscian mentions a deponent sciscor.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin sciō (“to know”) + -scō, an inchoative verb.^[2][3][1] De Vaan traces ⟨sciō⟩ to Proto-Italic *skije/o- (“to know”), from Proto-Indo-European *skh₁-i- (“to incise”), and thinks ⟨sciō⟩ is probably a back-formation from ⟨nesciō⟩.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of finding out and of voting.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to seek to know, inquire, ascertain, as in Plautus, Pacuvius and Accius; and of a legislative body, especially the plebs, to vote for, approve a resolution, as in Cicero and Livy, whence plēbis scītum “plebiscite”.^[2][3][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to inquire, find out, approve, assent to.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][5]
• 220–130 BC – Pacuvius uses it of inquiring.^[6][5]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of the plebs voting.^[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To seek to know, find out, ascertain.^[2]
2. (of the plebs or a legislative body) To vote for, approve.^[2]

Word family

• ascīscō
• cōnscīscō
• dēscīscō
• perscīscō
• perscītus
• praesciscō
• rescīscō
• scītāmenta
• scītulus
• scīscitor
• scītor
• scītum

Related words

• sciō
• scītātiō
• scītē
• plēbiscītum

References

1. ^ a b c d 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson