oblecto Latin · revision 32078

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [ɔbˈɫɛk.toː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [obˈlɛk.to]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''oblectō''' (present infinitive oblectāre, perfect active oblectāvī, supine oblectātum); first conjugation^(Wiktionary)

+ A deponent ''oblector'' is also found.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|ob-|lactō|t2=to allure, entice]], with the vowel weakened as in [[m|la|dēlectō|t=to delight]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Lewis & Short 1879) De Vaan derives [[m|la|lactō]] from the stem of [[m|la|laciō|t=to draw, entice]], from [[itc-pro|*lak-i-|t=to draw, pull]]; the simple verb is known only from Festus' epitome and may be a nonce form, and Walde and Hofmann's link with [[m|la|laqueus|t=noose]] is formally doubtful.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus,^(de Vaan 2008) who in the ''Asinaria'' has a slave promise to entertain someone meanwhile.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It means to delight, amuse, divert or entertain, often with a reflexive pronoun: Plautus also uses it of food, “you delighted your life with dirty bread”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) With time as object it means to pass time agreeably, to beguile it, as in Caecilius' “enough for me, to spend what is left of my life pleasantly”.^(OLD 2012) Cicero uses it of keeping someone in a pleasant opinion as long as possible.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Church Latin glosses it to delight, please, amuse.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of entertaining someone.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 230/220–168 BC – Caecilius of passing time agreeably.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of pleasing someone with an opinion.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|delight]], [[m|en|amuse]], divert, entertain.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Stelten 1995)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To pass time agreeably, [[m|en|beguile]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To delay, detain.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[inoblector]]

+ * [[oblectabilis]]

+ * [[oblectāmen]]

+ * [[oblectāmentum]]

+ * [[oblectātiō]]

+ * [[oblectātor]]

+ * [[oblectāneus]]

+ * [[oblectātōrius]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[delecto|alt=dēlectō]]

+ * [[lacto|alt=lactō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}