dubito Latin · revision 7547

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=derivation|attested=Plautus|origins=ine-pro *dwi-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈdʊ.bɪ.toː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈduː.bi.to]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dubitō''' (present infinitive dubitāre, perfect active dubitāvī, supine dubitātum); first conjugation^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from ⟨dubō⟩, glossed by Paulus' Festus, with the frequentative suffix [[-itō]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL) Wiktionary takes ⟨dubō⟩ as a denominative of ⟨*dubos⟩ “in doubt”, from [[ine-pro|*dwi-|t=two]] and [[ine-pro|*bʰuH-|t=to be]], as in [[dubius]].^(Wiktionary) Lewis and Short derived it instead from ⟨*duhibeō⟩ “to hold as two”.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Etymonline compares German ⟨zweifeln⟩ from ⟨zwei⟩ “two”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of wavering over an action, and Accius, of being uncertain.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant to be in doubt about a fact, be uncertain, as in Accius, and in Cicero to doubt something and to treat a point as arguable.^(OLD 2012) From Plautus it meant to be in two minds about an action, waver, hesitate, as Caesar's men who said they had never hesitated or been afraid.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) In Cicero it also meant to wonder whether one might not do something.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to doubt, hesitate, waver, and ''nōn dubitāre'' to believe firmly.^(Stelten 1995) It survives in French ''douter'' and Catalan ''dubtar'', and Old French ''doter'' gave [[en|doubt]] about 1200, first “to fear”.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses it of uncertainty.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of doubting a point.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 1200 – English ''doubt'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To be uncertain, [[m|en|doubt]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # To treat as arguable.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To be in two minds, [[m|en|hesitate]], waver.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To wonder whether one might.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[addubitō]]

+ * [[dubitābilis]]

+ * [[dubitātim]]

+ * [[dubitātiō]]

+ * [[dubitātīvus]]

+ * [[dubitātor]]

+ * [[indubitandus]]

+ * [[indubitātus]]

+ * [[indubitō]]

+ * [[subdubitō]]

+ * [[dubitanter]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[dubius]]

+ * [[duo]]

+ * [[en|doubt]]

+ * [[en|dubious]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}