perfigo Latin · revision 36754

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=96–55 BC, Lucretius|origins=la fīgō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [pɛrˈfiː.ɡoː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [perˈfiː.ɡo]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''perfīgō''' (present infinitive perfīgere, perfect active perfīxī, supine perfīxum); third conjugation^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|per-|fīgō|t1=through|t2=to fix, pierce]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Lewis & Short find it only in Lucretius.^(Lewis & Short 1879) In book 6 he says that lightning passes through many things without harming them and pierces many others (''multaque perfigit''),^(TLL)^(Lewis & Short 1879) although some manuscripts read ''perfrigit'' or ''perfregit'' there.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Lucretius also uses the participle figuratively: a cow pierced with longing for her sacrificed calf (''desiderio perfixa iuvenci''),^(Conte 2010)^(TLL) and the placid nature of cattle, not pierced by the darts of fear (''telis perfixa pavoris'').^(TLL)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Later the TLL records it in a 3rd-century curse tablet from Carthage, which calls on the powers to pierce and destroy a beast-fighter.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of lightning and, figuratively, of longing and fear.^(TLL)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 3rd century AD – A curse tablet from Carthage asks the powers to pierce a beast-fighter.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|pierce]] through, [[m|en|transfix]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(figurative, in the participle perfīxus)'' Pierced, deeply struck by an emotion.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The manuscripts confuse it with [[praefīgō]] “fix in front”.^(TLL)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}