texo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈtɛk.soː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtɛk.so]^[1]

Forms

texō (present infinitive texere, perfect active texuī, supine textum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *tekse/o-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *teḱ-s- (“to fashion”).^[2][1] Meiser takes it instead from a root *tek-s- seen in Ancient Greek τέχνη (tékhnē, “skill”), or from a present *te-tḱ- “to fashion”; the exact form is uncertain.^[2][1] tēla “web” comes from *teks-lā-.^[2]

Cognate with Sanskrit तक्षति (tákṣati, “fashions, hews”), Ancient Greek τέκτων (téktōn, “carpenter”) and Hittite takš- (“to devise, undertake”).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards,^[2] who speaks of “weaving words”.^[2] Terence's young man finds his beloved “busily weaving at the loom”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant to weave on a loom, and to plait baskets, wreaths and hedges, as in Virgil.^[3] It also meant to build something with care, especially a ship, as in Ennius' “a fleet is quickly built”.^[3] Virgil used it for the intricate movements of horsemen in the Trojan game.^[3] Figuratively a plot was “woven”, as in Cicero.^[4][5]

It survives as Italian tessere, French tisser, Spanish tejer, Portuguese tecer and Romanian țese.^[1] English text comes from its derivative textus and tissue from Old French tissu “woven”.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus speaks of weaving words.^[2][7]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it for building a fleet.^[3][7]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it for weaving at the loom.^[3][7]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it for plaiting hedges and for the movements of horsemen.^[3][7]
• late 14th century – English text and tissue are first recorded.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To weave.^[3][8]
2. To plait, intertwine.^[3][1]
3. To build, construct (with care).^[3]
4. To compose; to contrive.^[4][5]
5. To weave (intricate movements).^[3]

Word family

• attexō
• circumtextus
• contexō
• distexo
• extexō
• intertexō
• intexō
• obtexō
• pertexō
• praetexō
• praetextātus
• retexō

Related words

• tēla
• textus
• English text
• English textile
• English tissue

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ a b 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
8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press