infirmo Latin · revision 32366

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=170–c. 90 BC, Accius|origins=ine-pro *dʰer-mo-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [ĩːˈfɪr.moː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [iɱˈfir.mo]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''īnfirmō''' (present infinitive īnfirmāre, perfect active īnfirmāvī, supine īnfirmātum); first conjugation^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|īnfirmus|-ō|t1=weak]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan, who dates the verb from Accius, traces [[m|la|firmus|t=firm, strong]] to [[itc-pro|*fermo-]] and [[ine-pro|*dʰer-mo-|t=holding]], comparing [[sa|धर्मन्|tr=dhárman-|t=support, firm hold, law]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Accius has it first: “no lowliness ever weakens a good nature”.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is to weaken physically, as Sallust has new walls weakened by damp, and to deprive of military strength, as Cicero fears delays that weaken Brutus and strengthen Antony.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It is also to unnerve.^(OLD 2012) In argument and law it is to lessen the force of something: to refute or deny a contention, as in the ''Rhetorica ad Herennium'', and to annul or invalidate acts and laws, as Cicero accuses an opponent of trying to undo a grant made by Pompey.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) Paul the Deacon's Festus explains [[abrogo|alt=abrogāre]] by it.^(TLL) Church Latin glosses it to weaken, annul or refute.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 170–c. 90 BC – Accius of weakening a good nature.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 86/82 BC – The ''Rhetorica ad Herennium'' of refuting an argument.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of invalidating a grant.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 86–34 BC – Sallust of walls weakened by damp.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|weaken]], enfeeble; to deprive of military strength.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Stelten 1995)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To unnerve, dishearten.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To lessen the authority of; to [[m|en|refute]], disprove.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Stelten 1995)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|annul]], invalidate.^(OLD 2012)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[īnfirmātiō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[īnfirmē]]

+ * [[īnfirmitās]]

+ * [[īnfirmiter]]

+ * [[īnfirmus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The TLL lists a separate and doubtful ''īnfirmō'', from [[in]] and [[firmo|alt=firmāre]], meaning to strengthen or confirm, known only from one passage of Caelius Aurelianus.^(TLL)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}