degusto Latin · revision 33883

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=234–149 BC, Cato|origins=ine-pro *ǵ(e)us-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

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

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

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dēgustō''' (present infinitive dēgustāre, perfect active dēgustāvī, supine dēgustātum); first conjugation^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|dē-|gustō|t2=to taste]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) [[m|la|gustō]] is an intensive built on the participle of an old verb for "taste", which de Vaan traces to [[ine-pro|*ǵ(e)us-|t=to taste]]; the old verb survives in Festus' ⟨dēgūnere⟩, which he glosses with ⟨dēgustāre⟩.^(de Vaan 2008)^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLL reads it from Cato, Varro and Cicero on;^(TLL) Cato has wine tasted and judged at the discretion of an honest man.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It means to take a taste of, eat or drink a little of: Varro has wine tasted as a medicine and fodder sampled, and Pliny the Elder new crops and wines.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Lucan uses it of bees sipping thyme.^(OLD 2012) It is also to judge by tasting, as Cato's wine.^(OLD 2012) Lucretius has fires licking at beams with their flame, and Virgil a spear that grazes the surface of a body.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Figuratively it is to have a brief experience of, to sample: Brutus, writing to Cicero, wishes he had tasted something of the stories, Cicero speaks of judging people's minds and feelings, and Quintilian of tasting letters with the tip of the lips.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Tacitus uses it of tasting power.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Quintilian also uses it of touching briefly on a subject.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Lewis & Short call it rare but classical, especially in the figurative sense.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Stelten gives "taste, partake of" for Church Latin.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato of tasting wine.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro of tasting wine and fodder.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius of fire licking at beams.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of judging minds.^(OLD 2012)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil of a spear grazing the body.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|taste]], eat or drink a little of;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) ''(of bees)'' to sip;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) ''(of fire, a weapon)'' to lick, [[m|en|graze]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To judge by tasting, test.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' To have a taste of, try, sample; to form a judgement of; to touch briefly on.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dēgustātiō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[praegustō]]

+ * [[regustō]]

+ * [[gustō]]

+ * [[gustus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}