lego Latin · revision 2967

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Twelve Tables|origins=ine-pro *leǵ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈɫɛ.ɡoː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈlɛː.ɡo]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''legō''' (present infinitive legere, perfect active lēgī, supine lēctum); third conjugation^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*leg-e-]], [[inh|ine-pro|*leǵ-e/o-|t=to collect]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) The long vowel of the participle [[m|la|lēctus]] is probably due to Lachmann's law.^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan takes [[intellego|alt=intellegō]] and [[neglego|alt=neglegō]] to be fairly recent compounds of this verb, and finds a link with [[grc|ἀλέγω|tr=alégō|t=to heed]] problematic.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ Cognate with [[grc|λέγω|tr=légō|t=to gather, count; to speak]] and [[sq|mbledh|t=to collect]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(TLL)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan finds it from the Laws of the Twelve Tables onwards.^(de Vaan 2008) Cato tells the farmer to [[m|en|gather]] holm-oak leaves, ''frondem iligneam legito''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant to gather or pick up olives, nuts and flowers, to pick off, and to steal, especially sacred things.^(OLD 2012) Sailors “gathered” their sails, furling them, and hauled in ropes.^(OLD 2012) To gather with the ears or eyes was to catch words or pick out sights, and Virgil used it of following a track or passing over the sea.^(OLD 2012) It meant to choose or select, as men for a jury.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ The sense to [[m|en|read]], gathering the letters, is already in Plautus, and Cato speaks of things known “neither by hearsay nor by reading”.^(OLD 2012) Medieval Latin used it for teaching and lecturing,^(Wiktionary) and in music for chanting on a reciting tone.^(LmL) Italian ''leggere'', French ''lire'', Spanish ''leer'' and Portuguese ''ler'' all mean “to read”.^(Wiktionary) English ''lecture'' comes from Medieval Latin ''lectura'' “a reading”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for reading a letter.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses it for gathering leaves and olives.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it for furling sails.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 1200 – English ''legion'' comes from ''legio'', a body of men “gathered” for war.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1300 – English ''lecture'' is first recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To gather, [[m|en|collect]], pick up.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # To pick off, pull out.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To steal (especially sacred objects).^(OLD 2012)

+ # To furl (sails); to haul in (ropes); to weigh (anchor).^(OLD 2012)

+ # To catch (words); to pick out (with the eyes).^(OLD 2012)

+ # To choose, [[m|en|select]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To pass over (the sea); to follow (a track).^(OLD 2012)

+ # To [[m|en|read]]; to learn of by reading.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' To teach, lecture.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[colligō]]

+ * [[dēligō]]

+ * [[dīligō]]

+ * [[ēligō]]

+ * [[intellegō]]

+ * [[lēctiō]]

+ * [[lēctor]]

+ * [[legiō]]

+ * [[legūmen]]

+ * [[neglegō]]

+ * [[perlegō]]

+ * [[sēligō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|lecture]]

+ * [[en|legion]]

+ * [[en|collect]]

+ * [[en|elect]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A different verb, ''lēgāre'', from [[lex|alt=lēx]], meant to send as an envoy and to bequeath by will; the Twelve Tables have its old form ''legassit''.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}