Etymologically
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vestigo

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 12:13. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [wɛsˈtiː.ɡoː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [vesˈtiː.ɡo][1]

Forms

vestīgō (present infinitive vestīgāre, perfect active vestīgāvī, supine vestīgātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

The OLD derives it from vestīgium “footprint” with the verbal suffix -ō, but Wiktionary notes that the reverse derivation is equally possible.[2][1][3] Lewis and Short call the origin doubtful.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Ennius, whose Ilia dreams she is slowly tracking and seeking her sister.[2][4] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to follow the trail of, track down, as Seneca's hound tracking wild beasts and Pliny the Elder's tigress following the scent, to search out things and places, as in Plautus, and to try to find out.[2][4] Figuratively it meant to investigate, seek out by inquiry, as Cicero's tracing of fugitives.[2][4]

English investigate comes about 1500 from its compound investīgāre “to trace out”.[6]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of searching for a sister.[2][5]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of searching out things.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of investigation.[2][5]
  • c. 1500 – English investigate is recorded.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To track, trail, search for.[2]
  2. To search out (things, places).[2]
  3. To investigate, find out by inquiry.[2]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  4. ^ a b c d 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com