video

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwɪ.de.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈviː.de.o]^[1]

Forms

videō (present infinitive vidēre, perfect active vīdī, supine vīsum); second conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *wid-ē- (“to see”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *uid-eh₁- (“to see”), a stative present of the root *weyd- (“to see, know”).^[2][1] Wiktionary notes that the LIV takes the stative to be a more recent formation.^[1] The perfect vīdī could continue either a root aorist or the old perfect that meant “knows”; because of its meaning “I saw”, the LIV and de Vaan prefer the aorist.^[2][1] The present vīsō “to go and look” was a desiderative *weid-s-ō.^[2]

Cognate with Umbrian uirseto (“seen”) and South Picene videtas,^[2] and further with Ancient Greek εἶδον (eîdon, “I saw”), Sanskrit वेद (véda, “knows”), Gothic 𐍅𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (witan, “to know”) and Old Irish ro·fitir (“knows”).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Livius Andronicus onwards.^[2] In Plautus a slave cries attat! singulum vestigium video, “aha, I see a single footprint”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The verb meant to see with the eyes and to have the faculty of sight, as when Cato promises that an eye salve will make people “see better”.^[3] It also meant to set eyes on, meet or visit someone, to see with the mind's eye, to witness an event, and to live to see or experience something.^[3] Cicero used it for foreseeing, and for perceiving with understanding.^[3]

From seeing came considering and taking care: vide ne “see that … not”, and to see to or provide something, as a dinner.^[3] The passive videri meant to seem or be thought, in law to be deemed, and visum est “it seemed good”, that is, it was resolved.^[3] It survives as Italian vedere, French voir and Romanian vedea, and English took view from French.^[1][4]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for seeing.^[3][5]
• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of eyesight in his book on farming.^[3][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it for foreseeing and for understanding.^[3][5]
• mid-14th century – English view is first recorded, from Anglo-French.^[4]
• 1935 – English coins video from the Latin first person, “I see”.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To see, perceive with the eyes; to have sight.^[3][6]
2. To set eyes on, meet, visit.^[3]
3. To see in the mind, imagine.^[3]
4. To witness; to live to see, experience.^[3]
5. To foresee.^[3]
6. To understand, perceive; to find out.^[3][1]
7. To consider, look at (a question).^[3]
8. To take care, see to it (that); to provide.^[3]
9. (passive) To seem, appear; to be thought.^[3][1]
10. (impersonal passive) To seem good, be resolved.^[3]

Word family

• ēvidēns
• invideō
• pervideō
• praevideō
• prōvideō
• revideō
• vīsibilis
• vīsificus
• vīsiō
• vīsō
• vīsum

Related words

• vīsibilitās
• vīsibiliter
• vīsitātiō
• vīsitātor
• vīsitō
• vīsuālis
• vīsuālitās
• English view
• English video
• English vide

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes videre, seeing in general, from cernere, seeing clearly and distinctly, while spectare is fixing the eyes on something with interest.^[7] The imperative vide “see” is used in English cross-references.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper