destruo Latin · revision 6544
16 Oct 2026, 10:50 by bogdan “New Latin entry (sources: de Vaan, OLD, Lewis & Short, TLL...)” current version
Initial text
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Cicero|origins=la struō}}
+
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈdeːs.tru.oː]^(Wiktionary)
+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdɛs.tru.o]^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Forms==
+ '''dēstruō''' (present infinitive dēstruere, perfect active dēstrūxī, supine dēstrūctum); third conjugation^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is from [[dē-|t=down]] and [[struō]] “to build, pile up”, the opposite of [[cōnstruō]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Lewis & Short 1879)
+
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ The OLD's first citation is Cicero, who says that the one who built a ship or building pulls it down most easily.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^(Köbler 2010)
+
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ It meant to demolish, pull down a building, as in Cicero, and figuratively to destroy, ruin, as Livy's destruction of the law and Tacitus' of an enemy.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) In Quintilian it meant to refute an argument.^(OLD 2012) Döderlein says ''dēstruere'' is to pull down an artificial structure, [[dēmōlior]] a solid building.^(Döderlein 1874)
+
+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to destroy, ruin.^(Stelten 1995) Through Vulgar Latin *dēstrūgere and Old French ''destruire'' it is the source of [[en|destroy]] about 1200, and [[en|destruction]] comes from ''dēstrūctiō''.^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of pulling down a building.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of destroying the law.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of refuting arguments.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * c. 1200 – English ''destroy'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Verb===
+ # To demolish, pull down.^(OLD 2012)
+ # To [[m|en|destroy]], ruin.^(OLD 2012)
+ # To refute (arguments).^(OLD 2012)
+
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[destructilis]]
+ * [[dēstrūctiō]]
+ * [[dēstrūctīvus]]
+ * [[dēstrūctor]]
+
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[struō]]
+ * [[cōnstruō]]
+ * [[en|destroy]]
+ * [[en|destruction]]
+
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}