despuo Latin · revision 34657

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 235–200 BC, Naevius|origins=ine-pro *sp(i)uH-ie/o-}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dēspuō''' (present infinitive dēspuere); third conjugation, no perfect or supine stems^(Wiktionary)

+ Georges and Conte give the perfect ''dēspuī'' and the supine ''dēspūtum''.^(Georges 1913)^(Conte 2010)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|dē-|spuō|t2=to spit]].^(OLD 2012)^(Bianchi & Lelli 2014)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan lists it among the compounds of [[m|la|spuō]], which goes back to [[itc-pro|*spū̆-je/o-]] and [[ine-pro|*sp(i)uH-ie/o-|t=to spit]], an onomatopoeic formation whose beginning was probably reshaped in the different languages.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan and the OLD first find it in Naevius,^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) in a comic fragment that speaks of taking someone to a place “where you will not spit” (''ubi nōn dēspuās'').^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Used without an object, it means to spit on the ground, especially as a rite to avert evil or disease:^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913) Livy mentions a place where spitting is a matter of religious scruple, and Pliny the Elder describes people who say a charm three times and spit as often.^(OLD 2012) With an object it means to avert something by spitting (Pliny writes that by spitting we ward off epilepsy) and, figuratively, to spurn or reject: in Plautus someone is begged to spit away what he has said, and Catullus asks that his prayers not be spurned.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) It can also mean simply to spit something out, as in Petronius.^(OLD 2012)^(Conte 2010) Medieval authors keep both the literal sense and the sense to despise or reject.^(MLW)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it in a comedy.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it figuratively, of spitting away words.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of spitting as a religious rite.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of warding off disease by spitting.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * before 66 AD – Petronius uses it of spitting something out.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To [[m|en|spit]] on the ground, especially to avert evil or disease.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To avert by spitting;^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) ''(figurative)'' to [[m|en|spurn]], reject.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To spit out.^(OLD 2012)^(Conte 2010)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' To despise, [[m|en|disapprove]] of.^(MLW)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[desputamentum]]

+ * [[desputum]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}