toxico

Forms

toxicō (present infinitive toxicāre, perfect active toxicāvī, supine toxicātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin toxicus (“poisoned”).^[1] The adjective comes from toxicum (“poison”), from Ancient Greek τοξικόν (toxikón), the poison for arrows, from τόξον (tóxon, “bow”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Ambrose, only in the past participle: sagitta toxicata, a poisoned arrow.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

It is a Late and Ecclesiastical Latin word for smearing something with poison.^[1][5] Medieval writers use it of poisoned weapons, and the participle as an adjective for anything poisonous, also figuratively, as of poisoned tongues.^[6][7] Du Cange cites it from John of Salisbury and Peter of Blois for killing with poison,^[8] and Neo-Latin writers still use it of poisoned souls and of a person said to have been poisoned.^[9]

It lives on in Italian tossicare, Romanian topseca and Venetan tosegar.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 340–397 AD – Ambrose speaks of a poisoned arrow.^[3][4]
• before 735 – Bede tells of a poisoned dagger.^[6]
• 1115–1143 – William of Malmesbury tells of a poisoned dagger.^[6]
• 1130–1180 – John of Salisbury asks whether it is not madness to poison a serpent.^[6][8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To smear with poison, envenom (especially a weapon).^[3][5][6][7]
2. (Medieval Latin) To poison (a person), kill with poison.^[8][9]
3. (past participle as adjective) Poisoned, poisonous, venomous; also figurative.^[6]

Related words

• toxicum
• English toxic

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
6. ^ a b c d e f Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
9. ^ a b Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de