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solido

Etymology and origin of the Latin word solido

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Virgil
Ultimate origin
Latin (solidus)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin solidus
English solid
Latin solido
English solder

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈsɔ.lɪ.doː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsɔː.li.do][1]

Forms

solidō (present infinitive solidāre, perfect active solidāvī, supine solidātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin solidus (“solid”) + -ō.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Virgil, in the Georgics, says a threshing floor must be made solid with sticky clay so weeds do not come up.[2][3] Köbler dates Virgil 70–19 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to make solid or dense, and Lewis & Short note it is not found before the Augustan age and is mostly passive.[3][2] Vitruvius uses it of ramming a site firm, and Tacitus and Pliny the Younger of strengthening.[5][6] In medicine it meant to knit broken bones, and it was also used of joining metal by soldering.[2]

Its descendants include Italian saldare, French souder and Spanish soldar “to weld, solder”.[1] English solder is recorded in the early 14th century from Old French soudure, from souder, from this verb.[7]

Timeline

  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of a threshing floor.[2][4]
  • c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius uses it of building ground.[5][4]
  • early 14th century – English solder is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To make solid, firm or dense.[2][1]
  2. To strengthen, consolidate.[2][1]
  3. To knit broken bones; to join by solder.[2][1]

Word family

  • cōnsolidō
  • ēsolidō
  • persolido
  • praesolidō
  • solidamen
  • solidamentum
  • solidātiō
  • solidatrix
  • solidescō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com

Descendants

Cite this entry

“Solido.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/solido. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·