vestigium Latin · revision 4976

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=Plautus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [wɛsˈtiː.ɡi.ũː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [vesˈtiː.d͡ʒi.um]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''vestīgium''' ''n'' (genitive vestīgiī or vestīgī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is uncertain.^(OLD 2012)^(Etymonline) De Vaan finds attractive Muller's *verstīgium, from the root of [[verrō]] “to sweep”, so first “track, furrow”, with [[vestīgō]] from *w(e)rsti-Hg- “to draw a furrow”.^(de Vaan 2008) A link with [[vestis]] “clothes” makes no sense, he says.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Etymonline) Wiktionary also mentions [[ine-pro|*stéygʰeti|t=walks]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Plautus uses it: “look, a single footprint, but he went this way”.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Classical Latin it was a footprint or track, as Plautus' tracking a fox, one's footing, as Caesar's horses trained to stand in the same spot, and the sole of the foot.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) It was a step, the track of someone pursued, and figuratively a trace, mark or sign.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Of time it meant a moment, an instant.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Its verb ''vestīgāre'' “to track”, with ''investīgāre'', gave English ''investigate'', and the noun gave ''vestige'', first of the traces of a building.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of footprints.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of footing.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 1500 – English ''investigate'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1600 – English ''vestige'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|footprint]], [[m|en|track]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # Footing; the sole of the foot.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+ # A step.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A trace, mark, [[m|en|vestige]].^(Wiktionary)

+ # A moment, instant.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vestīgātiō]]

+ * [[vestīgātor]]

+ * [[vestīgō]]

+ * [[en|vestige]]

+ * [[en|investigate]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}