vestio

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwɛs.ti.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɛs.ti.o]^[1]

Forms

vestiō (present infinitive vestīre, perfect active vestīvī or vestiī, supine vestītum); fourth conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from vestis “clothing” with the verb suffix -iō.^[2][1][3] Virgil has an old imperfect ⟨vestībat⟩, and Prudentius an infinitive ⟨vestīrier⟩.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of clothing and of providing clothes.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to clothe, dress, provide with clothing, as in Plautus, and in Apuleius to dress in a certain way.^[2][5] From Cicero it was used figuratively of covering with skin, hair or foliage, of land covered with vegetation, of covering for ornament, and of light or sprinkled water.^[2] Cicero also uses it of clothing ideas in words.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to dress, clothe, vest, decorate.^[6] Medieval Latin vestīre meant to put into possession, invest, and through Old French vestir it gave English vest in the early 15th century.^[7] It survives in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese vestire, vestir and French vêtir.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of clothing.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of covering and of clothing ideas.^[2][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil has vestībat.^[3][4]
• early 15th century – English vest is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To clothe, dress; to provide with clothing.^[2]
2. To cover with skin, hair or foliage.^[2]
3. To cover, adorn.^[2]
4. To clothe ideas in words.^[2]
5. (Medieval Latin) To invest, put into possession.^[7]

Word family

• circumvestiō
• dēvestiō
• investiō

Related words

• vestiārium
• vestiārius
• vesticula
• vestifica
• vestificīna
• vestificus
• vestifluus
• vestīmentum
• vestiplica
• vestiplicus
• vestis
• English vest
• English invest
• English travesty

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com