incipio Latin · revision 17957

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=itc-pro *kapi-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ɪŋˈkɪ.pi.oː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [in̠ʲˈt͡ʃiː.pi.o]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''incipiō''' (present infinitive incipere, perfect active incēpī, supine inceptum); third (-iō variant) conjugation^(Wiktionary)

+ Paulus' epitome of Festus has an archaic ''incepsit'' (= ''incēperit'').^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ Late manuscripts sometimes write ''incoep-''.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|la|in-|capiō|t2=to take]], first “to take in hand, lay hold of”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan traces [[m|la|capiō]] to [[itc-pro|*kapi-|t=to seize]], from [[ine-pro|*kh₂p-i-]] or a non-Indo-European ⟨*kap-⟩, and compares [[grc|κάπτω|tr=káptō|t=to gulp down]] and [[got|𐌷𐌰𐍆𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=hafjan|t=to lift]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Plautus has ''sospes iter incipe hoc'', “begin this journey safely”, and ''incipere multōst quam impetrāre facilius'', “starting is much easier than succeeding”.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates it from Plautus.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Incipere'' is first transitive, “to start, embark on” an enterprise, and absolutely “to set to work”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It is used with an infinitive, “to begin to”, and of periods and conditions, “to begin, commence” (Plautus: ''hic annus incipit vīcēnsimus'', “this is the beginning of the twentieth year”).^(OLD 2012) Later it means to begin with something, to start to extend in space, to originate, and to lead off or come first.^(OLD 2012) Döderlein sets ''incipere'', a beginning as opposed to rest and to ''[[dēsinō|alt=dēsinere]]'', against ''[[ōrdior|alt=ōrdīrī]]'', a beginning as opposed to carrying on, and ''[[inchoō|alt=inchoāre]]'', a beginning as opposed to completing.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “begin, commence”.^(Stelten 1995) The first word of manuscripts, ''[[incipit]]'' “(here) begins”, became an English word, and English [[m|en|incept]] (1560s) comes from its participle.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''sospes iter incipe hoc'';^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010) ''nēquam sum, utpote quī hodiē amāre incēperim'', “I'm worthless, seeing that I've started being in love today”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero mentions Aratus, ''quī … ā Iove incipiendum putat'', “who thinks one should begin with Jupiter”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil: ''incipe, Damoeta'', “you begin, Damoetas”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1560s – English [[m|en|incept]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|begin]], start, take in hand.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # To begin to (with infinitive).^(OLD 2012)

+ # To begin, [[m|en|commence]] (of periods and conditions).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To begin (with); to start (in space); to originate (from).^(OLD 2012)

+ # To lead off; to come first.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[inceptīvus]]

+ * [[inceptō]]

+ * [[inceptor]]

+ * [[inceptum]]

+ * [[inceptus]]

+ * [[incipissō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[capiō]]

+ * [[coepī]]

+ * [[incipit]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}