termino

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈtɛr.mɪ.noː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtɛr.mi.no]^[1]

Forms

terminō (present infinitive termināre, perfect active termināvī, supine terminātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from terminus “boundary, limit, end” with the verb suffix -ō.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Cicero, of marking boundaries and of ending.^[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to mark the boundaries of a territory with stones or posts, of natural features to form a boundary, as Lucretius' land and sea bounding each other, and in Livy to separate public land from private.^[2][3][5] From Cicero it meant to define, delimit abstract things, to limit, restrict, and to bring to a close, end, and in Ulpian to settle an issue.^[2] Döderlein explains that fīnīre and termināre denote merely ending something, without regard to whether its purpose is achieved.^[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to limit, define, end, finish, determine.^[7] English terminate came in the early 15th century from its participle terminātus.^[8]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of bounding.^[3][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of boundaries and of ending.^[2][4]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of separating public land.^[5][4]
• early 15th century – English terminate is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To mark the boundaries of; to form the boundary of.^[2]
2. To define, delimit.^[2]
3. To limit, restrict.^[2]
4. To end, conclude, terminate; to settle.^[2]

Word family

• atterminō
• circumterminō
• contermino
• dēterminō
• disterminō
• exterminō
• interminātus
• prōterminō
• terminātiō
• terminātor
• terminātus
• terminātē

Related words

• terminālis
• terminus
• fīniō
• English terminate
• English determine

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com