terreo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈtɛr.re.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtɛr.re.o]^[1]

Forms

terreō (present infinitive terrēre, perfect active terruī, supine territum); second conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *tros-eje- (“to scare”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *tros-éye- (“to make tremble”), a causative of *tres- (“to tremble”).^[2][1] Since the other languages show only *trs- and *tres-, de Vaan rejects a source *ters- or *tors- and follows the reconstruction *tros-eie-, which would give Latin *terseje- regularly.^[2]

Cognate with Umbrian tursitu (“let him scare”), Sanskrit त्रसति (trásati, “trembles”), Avestan tərəsa- (“to be afraid”), Ancient Greek τρέω (tréō, “to tremble, flee”) and Lithuanian trišė́ti (“to tremble”).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is attested from Naevius onwards.^[2] Ennius uses it of trying to intimidate with threats.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense was to keep someone in check by fear, and with ab, ne or quominus to deter from doing something.^[3] It also meant to fill with sudden fear or alarm, often with facts or events as subject.^[3][4] The passive terreri expressed a state of terror, and with ne it meant to be afraid that something might happen.^[3][5]

Its many derivatives include terror, terribilis and terrificus, which are the sources of English terror, English terrible and English terrific.^[2][6]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.^[2][7]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of threats.^[3][7]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of terrorising the city with murder and arson.^[3][7]
• 65–8 BC – Horace writes that Jupiter frightened the nations lest Pyrrha's age return.^[3][7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To keep in check by fear, intimidate, overawe.^[3]
2. To deter (from an action).^[3]
3. To fill with fear, frighten, terrify.^[3][4]
4. (passive) To be terrified; with ne, to fear that.^[3][5]

Word family

• absterreō
• conterreō
• dēterreō
• exterreō
• interritus
• perterreō
• prōterreō
• terribilis
• terricula
• terrificus
• terriō
• territiō

Related words

• tremō
• trepidus
• English terror
• English terrific
• English deter

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 e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de