traho

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈtra.(ɦ)oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtraː.o]^[1]

Forms

trahō (present infinitive trahere, perfect active trāxī, supine tractum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *traχe/o-, but its further origin is unclear.^[2][1][3] De Vaan finds the closest cognates in meaning in Celtic, such as Old Irish tráig (“ebb, beach”), from a sense “to pull away”.^[2] A link with Germanic Old Norse draga (“to draw, drag”) and Old English dragan (“to draw”) is often suggested, but Latin /h/ would require a different consonant from the one the Germanic words need.^[3][4][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards,^[2][5] whose maid tells how she pulled the cradle back and forth.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant to drag, pull or haul, to take someone along, as Andromache bringing Astyanax in Virgil, and of rivers and waves to carry along, as in Lucretius and Sallust.^[3] Feelings were said to pull the mind, as Terence's “cares that drag my mind in different directions”.^[3] It meant to carry off as plunder, to draw something towards one, as a magnet draws iron, to drink in, and to lower sails.^[3][6]

It also meant to lure, to win over to one's side, to pull out a weapon, and to derive something from a source, as Cicero's jibe that Antony drew some wit from his actress wife.^[3] Things trailed behind, were stretched out, and took on features.^[3] Of time it meant to draw out or protract, as elections in Cicero and delays in Virgil, to spend time, and to put off.^[3] Sallust uses it for pondering.^[3] It survives as Italian trarre, French traire “to milk” and Portuguese trazer “to bring”.^[1] English tract and attract come from it.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for pulling a cradle.^[3][5]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of cares pulling at the mind.^[3][5]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of air drawn along.^[3][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of protracted elections.^[3][5]
• 86–34 BC – Sallust uses it for pondering.^[3][5]
• early 15th century – English attract is first recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To drag, pull, haul.^[3][8]
2. To take along, (of currents) to carry along.^[3]
3. To influence, draw (the mind).^[3][1]
4. To carry off, plunder.^[3][1]
5. To draw in, attract; to drink in.^[3][1]
6. To lure; to win over.^[3][1]
7. To pull out; to derive (from).^[3][1]
8. To trail; to draw out, extend.^[3][1]
9. To protract, prolong; to spend (time); to put off.^[3][1]
10. To ponder.^[3][1]

Word family

• abstrahō
• attrahō
• circumtrahō
• contrahō
• dētrahō
• distrahō
• extrahō
• intertrahō
• intrahō
• obtrahō
• pertrahō
• praetrahō

Related words

• trāgula
• trāgum
• trāma
• tractō
• English tract
• English attract
• English contract
• English traction

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c 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 m n o p q r s t u v w x y Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press