senesco Latin · revision 31809

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=116–27 BC, Varro|origins=ine-pro *sen-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [sɛˈneːs.koː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [seˈnɛs.ko]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''senēscō''' (present infinitive senēscere, perfect active senuī); third conjugation, no passive, no supine stem^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from [[seneō|t=to be old]] with the inchoative suffix [[m|la|-scō]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan lists it with [[senex|t=old man]], from [[itc-pro|*seno-|t=old]] and [[ine-pro|*sen-|alt=*sen-(o-)|t=old]]; cognate with [[sga|sen|t=old]], [[sa|सन|tr=sána-|t=old]], [[grc|ἕνος|tr=hénos|t=of last year]] and [[lt|sẽnas|t=old]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Varro,^(de Vaan 2008) who uses it of lambs that waste away from longing for their mothers.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its literal sense, “to grow old”, is less common: Horace advises releasing an ageing horse in time, and has a man growing old in the love of gain.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Mostly it means to weaken or decay, of people, animals and things, and of activities, feelings and conditions “to die down”: Cicero speaks of praise that was almost fading, and of a state in decline rather than at rest.^(OLD 2012) Of the moon it is “to wane” (Varro), and of armies and resources “to dwindle”, as Nepos says of Athenian power after Sicily.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “grow old, become weak, waste away”.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro of lambs pining away and of the waning moon.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of fading praise.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 100–24 BC – Nepos of dwindling power.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace of an ageing horse.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To grow old, [[m|en|age]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # To weaken, [[m|en|decay]], languish.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of feelings and conditions, to die down; of the moon, to [[m|en|wane]]; of resources, to [[m|en|dwindle]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[assenēscō]]

+ * [[cōnsenēscō]]

+ * [[dēsenēscō]]

+ * [[īnsenēscō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[senātor]]

+ * [[senātōrius]]

+ * [[senātrīx]]

+ * [[senātus]]

+ * [[senectus]]

+ * [[seneō]]

+ * [[senex]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}