Etymologically
Log in

succido

Etymology and origin of the Latin word succido

History Permalink

succido1 to sink down

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (cadō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈsʊk.kɪ.doː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsut.t͡ʃi.do][1]

Forms

succidō (present infinitive succidere, perfect active succidī); third conjugation, no passive, no supine stem[1] It is also spelled subcidō.[2]

Etymology

This verb is from sub- “under” and cadō “to fall”.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of knees giving way.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant of the knees to give way, sink down, as in Plautus and Lucretius, and in Varro to fall under a term, be included.[2][4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][3]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of a term.[2][3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To give way, sink down.[2]
  2. To fall under (a term).[2]

Word family

  • succiduus

succido2 to cut from below

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Varro
Ultimate origin
Latin (caedō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [sʊkˈkiː.doː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [sutˈt͡ʃiː.do][1]

Forms

succīdō (present infinitive succīdere, perfect active succīdī, supine succīsum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

This verb is from sub- and caedō “to cut”.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Varro, of felling.[2] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant to cut from below or at the base, fell trees, cut down crops, as in Varro and Caesar's arboribus succīsīs “with felled trees”.[2][4] In Vitruvius it meant to carve out underneath, and in Gellius to kill victims as a second offering.[2]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it.[2][3]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of felled trees.[4][3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To cut down, fell.[2]
  2. To undercut.[2]

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 i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
Cite this entry

“Succido.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/succido. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·