Etymologically
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vestio

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 13:01. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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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

  • 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