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vexo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word vexo

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Confidence
Uncertain
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Cato

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈwɛk.soː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɛk.so][1]

Forms

vexō (present infinitive vexāre, perfect active vexāvī, supine vexātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

Its origin is uncertain.[2][3] De Vaan suggests it is an iterative built on a participle *vexus (“moved”) of vehō “to carry”, of the type flexō and nexō, the participle also found in convexus and dēvexus.[2][1] Alternatively it may be an s-present *weg-s- independent of -vexus.[2] Lewis and Short and Gaffiot call it the intensive of vehō, meaning first to shake or jolt in carrying.[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Cato, who says Hannibal tore and ravaged Italy.[2][3] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to shake, toss or buffet violently, a sense Gellius discusses, then to attack constantly, harry, and to ravage a country.[3][4][5] Of illness and disorder it meant to afflict, trouble, and of people to harass, distress, persecute, as Cicero's Verres who so vexed the farmers that they had to buy grain.[3] It also meant to disturb or upset affairs and institutions, and to criticize, attack in words.[3][5]

English vex “upset, anger” came through Old French in the late 14th century.[7]

Timeline

  • 234–149 BC – Cato says Hannibal ravaged Italy.[3][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero says Verres harassed the farmers.[3][6]
  • c. 165 AD – Gellius discusses the force of the word.[5][6]
  • late 14th century – English vex is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To shake, toss, buffet violently.[3]
  2. To attack constantly, harry; to ravage (a country).[3]
  3. (Of illness) to afflict, trouble.[3]
  4. To harass, distress, persecute.[3]
  5. To disturb, upset (affairs).[3]

Word family

  • vexātiō

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Vexo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/vexo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·