ulciscor

Forms

ulcīscor (present infinitive ulcīscī, perfect active ultus sum); third conjugation, deponent^[1] Ennius has an active form, ulcīscerem.^[2] The participle ultus is sometimes passive, “avenged” (Livy).^[2]

Etymology

The origin is disputed.^[1][2] De Vaan sets up Proto-Italic *ol-k- (“to destroy, take revenge”) and links it, as a ⟨k⟩-extension, with the root Proto-Indo-European *h₃elh₁- (“to perish”) of dēleō, comparing Ancient Greek ὀλέκω (olékō, “to destroy”), which he finds the best option semantically.^[3] The traditional derivation from ulcus (“sore, ulcer”), through “to grow sores against someone”, which the OLD still mentions, seems to him uncompelling, and so does LIV's root ⟨*h₂elk-⟩ “to ward off” of ἀλκή (alkḗ, “strength, defence”).^[3][2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, Amphitruo: illum ulcīscar hodiē Thessalum venēficum, “I'll have my revenge today on that Thessalian sorcerer”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Ulcīscor is to take revenge on a person and to avenge a wrong (Plautus), or simply to take vengeance (Pacuvius).^[2] It is also to avenge someone, to take vengeance on their behalf: Ennius' Alcmaeon could not avenge his father except by shedding his mother's blood;^[2] sē ulcīscī is to revenge oneself (Cicero).^[2] Lewis & Short give vindicō, pūniō and persequor as synonyms.^[4]

Church Latin glosses it “take vengeance on, avenge, punish”.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of revenge on a sorcerer.^[2][6]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius of avenging a father.^[2][6]
• 220–130 BC – Pacuvius of taking vengeance.^[2][6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To take revenge on, punish.^[2][1][5]
2. To avenge (a wrong or a person).^[2][1][5]
3. sē ulcīscī: To revenge oneself.^[2]

Word family

• ultor
• ultrīx
• ultiō
• ultōrius
• inultus

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 h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ 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
4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de