benedico Latin · revision 6324

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=Plautus|origins=la bene, la dīcō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [bɛ.nɛˈdiː.koː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [be.neˈdiː.ko]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''benedīcō''' (present infinitive benedīcere, perfect active benedīxī, supine benedictum); third conjugation, irregular short imperative^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from [[bene]] “well” and [[dīcō]] “to say”, and in Classical Latin it is always written ⟨bene dīcō⟩, separately.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of speaking well of and kindly to someone.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Classical Latin it meant to speak well of, commend, as in Cicero and Ovid, and to speak kindly to, as in Plautus.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ In Christian Latin it came to mean to bless, praise, and in Ecclesiastical Latin it is “to bless, praise”.^(Stelten 1995)^(Etymonline) It survives in Italian ''benedire'', French ''bénir'', Spanish ''bendecir'' and Portuguese ''benzer''.^(Wiktionary) [[en|benediction]] comes from its noun ''benedictiō'' “a blessing” about 1400.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of commending.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 1400 – English ''benediction'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To speak well of, commend.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To speak kindly to.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' To [[m|en|bless]]; to praise.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[benedīcibilis]]

+ * [[benedictiō]]

+ * [[benedicus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bene]]

+ * [[dīcō]]

+ * [[maledīcō]]

+ * [[en|benediction]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}