demitto Latin · revision 9494

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=Plautus|origins=la mittō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

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

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

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dēmittō''' (present infinitive dēmittere, perfect active dēmīsī, supine dēmissum); third conjugation^(Wiktionary)

+ It is sometimes spelled ''dim-'' through confusion with ''dīmittō''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from [[dē-]] “down” and [[mittō]] “to send, let go”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) De Vaan traces ⟨mittō⟩ to [[itc-pro|*meit-e/o-]], perhaps [[ine-pro|*m(e)ytH₂-|t=to exchange, remove]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of dropping something into a container.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant to let fall, drop, shed, as in Virgil; to plunge into something, as in Plautus; to sink or plant in the ground, as in Cato; to send down, make descend, and reflexively to go down, as in Virgil; to lower, let down, as in Cicero's ''in flūmen equum dēmittere''; and to bow the body, as in the ''Rhetorica ad Herennium''.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Figuratively it meant to commit oneself to something, as in Cicero; to take ideas in, as in Sallust; to reduce or demote, as in Quintilian; and to dispirit, ''animum dēmittere'' “to lose heart”, as in Seneca.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to sink, settle, lie down, forgive.^(Stelten 1995) [[en|demit]] (early 15th century, “to flow down; to humble oneself”) came through Old French ''demetre'' and directly from Latin.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of planting.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

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

+ * early 15th century – English ''demit'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To let fall, drop; to plunge into.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To sink, plant.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To send down, lower, (reflexive) to descend.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To bow, stoop.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To reduce, [[m|en|demote]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # To dispirit: ''animum dēmittere'' to lose heart.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dēmissīcius]]

+ * [[dēmissiō]]

+ * [[dēmissē]]

+ * [[dēmissus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[admittō]]

+ * [[āmittō]]

+ * [[circummittō]]

+ * [[committō]]

+ * [[dīmittō]]

+ * [[ēmittō]]

+ * [[immittō]]

+ * [[intermittō]]

+ * [[intrōmittō]]

+ * [[mittō]]

+ * [[en|demit]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}