Etymologically
Log in

vegeo

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 05:05. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈwɛ.ɡe.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɛː.d͡ʒe.o][1]

Forms

vegeō (present infinitive vegēre, perfect active veguī); second conjugation, no supine stem, third person-only in the passive[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *weg-eje/o-, which de Vaan derives from an adjective Proto-Indo-European *weg-o- (“active, awake”), or from a causative *woǵ-éye- “to awaken”, though the e-grade is unusual for a causative.[2][1] Cognate with Sanskrit वाज (vā́ja, “contest, reward”), Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐍅𐌰𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (uswakjan, “to waken”), Old High German wahhēn (“to be awake”) and Old High German wackar (“lively”).[2][3] Lewis and Short connected it with vigeō “to thrive” and vigil “awake”.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Ennius, who speaks of the winds stirring up the salt seas.[2][4] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to impart vigour or activity, to stir up, enliven, as Ennius' winds that rouse the sea, and in Varro intransitively to be lively.[3][4][6] It died out after the Republic, Lucretius being the last author to use it, and the sense “to be cheerful” is a phantom.[2] Its participle-like adjective vegetus “vigorous, lively” and the verb vegetāre “to invigorate” lived on.[2]

From vegetāre come English vegetable, first “capable of growth” in the early 15th century, and English vegetate.[7]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of winds stirring the sea.[4][5]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it intransitively.[6][5]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius is the last to use it.[2][5]
  • early 15th century – English vegetable is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To enliven, stir up, give vigour to.[3][4]
  2. To be lively.[6]

Word family

  • vegetus
  • vegetābilis
  • vegetālis
  • vegetāmen
  • vegetātiō
  • vegetātor
  • vegetō
  • vigeō
  • English vegetable

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c 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