stinguo

Forms

stinguō (present infinitive stinguere, perfect active stīnxī, supine stīnctum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

In de Vaan's account it is inherited from Proto-Italic *stengʷe/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *stengʷe/o- (“to push, thrust”).^[2] He explains the meanings of the compounds from a root meaning “press, push”: exstinguō and restinguō “push back, suppress”, distinguō “push apart”.^[2] The present stem in /-u-/ cannot be explained as a denominative, which makes the comparison with Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌹𐌲𐌵𐌰𐌽 (stigqan, “to thrust”) attractive, since a root ending in /gʷ/ could have produced it.^[2] Umbrian 𐌀𐌍𐌔𐌕𐌉𐌍𐌕𐌖 (anstintu, “to connect, attach”) may belong here or to the root of īnstīgō, which de Vaan keeps apart from this verb.^[2][1]

The OLD reports an older view that identifies it with the ⟨-stinguō⟩ of that compound and refers it to a root meaning “to prick”, as in Ancient Greek στίζω (stízō, “to prick”);^[3] Pokorny likewise puts it under Proto-Indo-European *(s)teig- (“to stick; sharp”), explaining “put out” from poking apart the burning logs.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Lucretius on,^[2] meaning to extinguish: he speaks of fires that are put out (ignēs stinguī) and of colour that slowly fades away.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The verb is poetic and very rare; the usual word is extinguō.^[5] Besides fires and lights it was said, by extension, of destroying or annihilating something.^[3]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of fires going out and of colour fading.^[5][6]
• 81–43 BC – A verse fragment of Cicero, quoted by Priscian, has stinguuntur radiī, “the rays are put out”.^[5][7][6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To extinguish, put out (a fire or light).^[3][5]
2. (transferred) To annihilate, destroy: nūlla potest vīs stinguere, “no force can destroy them” (Lucretius 1.486, of the first elements of things).^[3]

Word family

• distinguō
• exstinguō
• īnstinguō
• interstinguō
• restinguō

Usage notes

Georges lists a separate unattested verb *stinguō “to prick” as the base of distinguō, īnstinguō and interstinguō;^[7] de Vaan sees no reason to posit such a verb and explains its supposed forms from those of this one.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke
5. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn