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vecto

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word vecto

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 250–184 BC, Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*ueǵh-e/o-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin veho
Latin conveho
Latin reveho
Latin aveho
Latin eveho
Latin vector
English vector
Latin deveho
Latin subveho
Latin vecto
Latin vehiculum
French véhicule
English vehicle

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈwɛk.toː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈvɛk.to][1]

Forms

vectō (present infinitive vectāre, perfect active vectāvī, supine vectātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin vehō (“to carry”) + -tō, a frequentative.[2][3][1] The verb goes back to Proto-Italic *weχ-e/o- and Proto-Indo-European *ueǵh-e/o- (“to carry”).[4] Cognate with Umbrian arveitu (“to add”), Sanskrit वहति (váhati, “to carry, convey”), Lithuanian vèžti (“to convey”) and Old High German wagan (“cart”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus.[4] The OLD's first citation is Cato, who wants asses with panniers to carry dung.[2]

Semantic evolution

It is used of something that regularly carries or transports:[2] Virgil says it is forbidden to carry living bodies in the Stygian boat, and has wagons carrying ash trees;[2] Livy mentions ships big enough to carry the produce of a senator's estates, and Gellius the dolphin that carried Arion on its back.[2][3] In the passive it means to ride, drive or sail: Horace has riding round the countryside on a nag.[2] Lewis & Short thought it perhaps not used before Augustus.[3] Stelten gives "carry, convey" for Church Latin.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus.[4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato of asses carrying dung.[2]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil of the Stygian boat.[2][3]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace of riding round the countryside.[2]
  • c. 165 AD – Gellius of a dolphin carrying a man.[2][3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To carry, convey, transport (regularly or habitually).[2][3][1][5]
  2. (passive) To be carried; to ride, drive, sail.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Vecto.” Etymologically, 20 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/vecto. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·