Etymologically
Log in

vaco

Etymology and origin of the Latin word vaco

History Permalink
Confidence
Probable
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈwa.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvaː.ko][1]

Forms

vacō (present infinitive vacāre, perfect active vacāvī or vacuī, supine vacātum); first conjugation, no passive[1] Plautus also has vocō.[2][3]

Etymology

It is a verb from Proto-Italic *wako- (“empty”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁uh₂-ko-, an adjective also behind vacuus “empty”.[2] Nussbaum reconstructs the root as *h₁ueh₂-.[2] The forms with ⟨voc-⟩ come from a change of /a/ to /o/ before the accent.[2] Umbrian vasetom (“made faulty”) is a cognate, but no certain cognates outside Italic are known.[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus uses it.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was of a space to be empty or vacant, of places to have no occupants, as Cicero's empty upper floor of a house, and to be free from something.[3][5] It was to be available for someone, to have leisure or time for something, and vacat “there is time or room to”.[3][1] Döderlein says it means to have one's time free, against ōtior, being at leisure.[6]

Its participle gave English vacant, and vacātiō “exemption, leisure” gave vacation.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses vacātiō.[2][4]
  • c. 1300 – English vacant is recorded.[7]
  • late 14th century – English vacation is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To be empty, vacant.[3][8]
  2. To be unoccupied (of places).[3][1]
  3. To be free (from).[3]
  4. To be at leisure; to have time (for).[1][3]
  5. Vacat, there is room or time.[3]

Word family

  • supervacāneō
  • supervacāneus
  • supervacō
  • vacāns
  • uacanter
  • vacantia
  • vacātiō
  • vacātūra
  • vacīvus
  • vocīvus
  • supervacuus
  • vacēfīō
  • vacua
  • vacuē
  • vacuēfaciō
  • vacuitās
  • Vacūna
  • vacūnālis
  • vacuō
  • vacuum
  • vacuus
  • English vacant
  • English vacation

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Vaco.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/vaco. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·