LOGOI

The corpus record — Latin

dico

dico · v. a

To proclaim, make known

Generated live from the audited Latin corpus — every figure on this page is a database query, not prose from memory.

The life of the word — written from the record; every claim drawn from it

Dico (DEE-koh) is among the most heavily worked verbs in the Latin record: 29,784 occurrences across 364 works — a word at home almost everywhere Latin is written. It lives thickest in the prose of instruction and inquiry. The top surfaces are Institutio Oratoria ("Institutes of Oratory," 2,195), Noctes Atticae ("Attic Nights," 1,842), Naturalis Historia ("Natural History," 1,596), Ab urbe condita ("From the Founding of the City," 1,147), Controversiae ("Debates," 903), and De Oratore ("On the Orator," 898). Rhetoric, history, and natural science lean on it hardest — a verb of saying that the Romans who talked about talking could not do without.

The lexica record that the headword is really two words braided together. Lewis & Short (A Latin Dictionary, 1879) enters dĭco, -āvi, -ātum (first conjugation), glossed "to proclaim, make known" — the root of dedicate — and separately dīco, dixi, dictum (third conjugation), the ordinary verb "to say." Lewis & Short note the pair are "orig. the same word," comparing abdĭco and abdīco, indĭco and indīco. Walde–Hofmann (Lateinisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 1938–54) glosses the third-conjugation verb "spreche, spreche aus, verkündige" ("I speak, speak out, proclaim") and marks the old spelling deico with the diphthong ei.

Two etymology pointers are matched. Walde–Hofmann (entry #924) give the root candidates *di-, *deik-, *deig-, though the record lists no gloss for them. Ernout–Meillet (Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine, DELL, 1932; 4th ed. 1959, entry #3058) also treat the word; the record matches the pointer without listing their reconstruction.

The cited surfaces are all from Livy's first two books and show both verbs at once: dicitur ("it is said"), dixit ("he said"), beside dicata ("dedicated," feminine) and dicavit ("he dedicated"), as at Ab Urbe Condita book 1. Speaking and consecrating, one form apart.

When one word carries both to say and to set apart as holy, is the boundary between them a difference, or a memory?

Witnesses: Lewis & Short, A Latin Dictionary · Walde–Hofmann, Lateinisches etymologisches Wörterbuch · Ernout–Meillet, Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine (DELL)

Where it lives

Densest 12 of 364 attested works shown, by occurrences per 10,000 attested tokens.

What it meant

1. dĭco — Lewis & Short

dĭco, āvi, ātum, 1 (dixe for dixisse, Val. Ant. ap. v. a.orig. the same word with 2. dīco; cf. the meaning of abdĭco and abdīco, of indĭco and indīco, dedĭco, no. II. A. al., Corss. Ausspr. 1, 380.

Arn. 5, 1; DICASSIT dixerit, Paul. ex Fest. p. 75, 15; rather = dicaverit),
I To proclaim, make known. So perh. only in the foll. passage: pugnam, Lucil. ap. Non. 287, 30.—Far more freq.,
II Relig. t. t., to dedicate, consecrate, devote any thing to a deity or to a deified person (for syn. cf.: dedico, consecro, inauguro).
A Prop.: et me dicabo atque animam devotabo hostibus, Att. ap. Non. 98, 12: donum tibi (sc. Jovi) dicatum atque promissum, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 72; cf.: ara condita atque dicata, Liv. 1, 7 (for which aram condidit dedicavitque, id. 28, 46 fin.); so, aram, id. 1, 7; 1, 20: capitolium, templum Jovis O. M., id. 22, 38 fin.: templa, Ov. F. 1, 610: delubrum ex manubiis, Plin. 7, 26, 27, § 97: lychnuchum Apollini, id. 34, 3, 8, § 14: statuas Olympiae, id. 34, 4, 9, § 16: vehiculum, Tac. G. 40: carmen Veneri, Plin. 37, 10, 66, § 178; cf. Suet. Ner. 10 fin. et saep.: cygni Apollini dicati, Cic. Tusc. 1, 30, 73.—
2 With a personal object, to consecrate, to deify (cf. dedico, no. II. A. b.): Janus geminus a Numa dicatus, Plin. 34, 7, 16, § 34: inter numina dicatus Augustus, Tac. A. 1, 59.—
B Transf., beyond the relig. sphere.
1 To give up, set apart, appropriate a thing to any one: recita; aurium operam tibi dico, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 72; so, operam, id. Ps. 1, 5, 147; Ter. Ph. 1, 2, 12: hunc totum diem tibi, Cic. Leg. 2, 3, 7: tuum studium meae laudi, id. Fam. 2, 6, 4: genus (orationis) epidicticum gymnasiis et palaestrae, id. Or. 13, 42: librum Maecenati, Plin. 19, 10, 57, § 177; cf.: librum laudibus ptisanae, id. 18, 7, 15, § 75 al.: (Deïopeam) conubio jungam stabili propriamque dicabo, Verg. A. 1, 73; cf. the same verse, ib. 4, 126: se Crasso, Cic. de Or. 3, 3, 11; cf.: se Remis in clientelam, * Caes. B. G. 6, 12, 7: se alii civitati, to become a free denizen of it, Cic. Balb. 11, 28; for which: se in aliam civitatem, id. ib. 12 fin.—*
2 (I. q. dedico, no. II. A.) To consecrate a thing by using it for the first time: nova signa novamque aquilam, Tac. H. 5, 16.— Hence, dĭcātus, a, um, P. a. (acc. to no. II.), devoted, consecrated, dedicated: loca Christo dedicatissima, August. Civ. Dei, 3, 31: CONSTANTINO AETERNO AVGVSTO ARRIVS DIOTIMVS ... N. M. Q. (i. e. numini majestatique) EIVS DICATISSIMVS, Inscr. Orell. 1083.

2. dīco — Lewis & Short

dīco, xi, ctum, 3 (

I praes. DEICO, Inscr. Orell. 4848; imp. usu. dic; cf. duc, fac, fer, from duco, etc., DEICVNTO, and perf. DEIXSERINT, P. C. de Therm. ib. 3673; imp. dice, Naev. ap. Fest. p. 298, 29 Müll.; Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 109; id. Bac. 4, 4, 65; id. Merc. 1, 2, 47 al.; cf. Quint. 1, 6, 21; fut. dicem = dicam, Cato ap. Quint. 1, 7, 23; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 72, 6 Müll.—Another form of the future is dicebo, Novius ap. Non. 507 (Com. v. 8 Rib.). —Perf. sync.: dixti, Plaut. As. 4, 2, 14; id. Trin. 2, 4, 155; id. Mil. 2, 4, 12 et saep.; Ter. And. 3, 1, 1; 3, 2, 38; id. Heaut. 2, 3, 100 et saep.; Cic. Fin. 2, 3, 10; id. N. D. 3, 9, 23; id. Caecin. 29, 82; acc. to Quint. 9, 3, 22.— Perf. subj.: dixis, Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 46; Caecil. ap. Gell. 7, 17 fin.: dixem = dixissem, Plaut. Pseud. 1, 5, 84; inf. dixe = dix isse, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Non. 105, 23; Varr. ib. 451, 16; Arn. init.; Aus. Sept. Sap. de Cleob. 8; inf. praes. pass. dicier, Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 32; Vatin. in Cic. Fam. 5, 9 al.), v. a. root DIC = *d*e*i*k in dei/knumi; lit., to show; cf. di/kh, and Lat. dicis, ju-dex, dicio, to say, tell, mention, relate, affirm, declare, state; to mean, intend (for syn. cf.: for, loquor, verba facio, dicto, dictito, oro, inquam, aio, fabulor, concionor, pronuntio, praedico, recito, declamo, affirmo, assevero, contendo; also, nomino, voco, alloquor, designo, nuncupo; also, decerno, jubeo, statuo, etc.; cf. also, nego.—The person addressed is usually put in dat., v. the foll.: dicere ad aliquem, in eccl. Lat., stands for the Gr. ei)pei=n pro/s tina, Vulg. Luc. 2, 34 al.; cf. infra I. B. 2. g).
I Lit.
A In gen.: Amphitruonis socium nae me esse volui dicere, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 228: advenisse familiarem dicito, id. ib. 1, 1, 197: haec uti sunt facta ero dicam, id. ib. 1, 1, 304; cf. ib. 2, 1, 23: signi dic quid est? id. ib. 1, 1, 265: si dixero mendacium, id. ib. 1, 1, 43; cf. opp. vera dico, id. ib. 1, 1, 238 al.: quo facto aut dicto adest opus, id. ib. 1, 1, 15; cf.: dictu opus est, Ter. Heaut. 5, 1, 68: nihil est dictu facilius, id. Phorm. 2, 1, 70: turpe dictu, id. Ad. 2, 4, 11: indignis si male dicitur, bene dictum id esse dico, Plaut. Curc. 4, 2, 27: ille, quem dixi, whom I have mentioned, named, Cic. de Or. 3, 12, 45 et saep.: vel dicam = vel potius, or rather: stuporem hominis vel dicam pecudis attendite, Cic. Phil. 2, 12, 30; cf.: mihi placebat Pomponius maxime vel dicam minime displicebat, id. Brut. 57, 207; so id. ib. 70, 246; id. Fam. 4, 7, 3 al.—
b Dicitur, dicebatur, dictum est, impers. with acc. and inf., it is said, related, maintained, etc.; or, they say, affirm, etc.: de hoc (sc. Diodoro) Verri dicitur, habere eum, etc., it is reported to Verres that, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 18: non sine causa dicitur, ad ea referri omnes nostras cogitationes, id. Fin. 3, 18, 60; so, dicitur, Nep. Paus. 5, 3; Quint. 5, 7, 33; 7, 2, 44; Ov. F. 4, 508: Titum multo apud patrem sermone orasse dicebatur, ne, etc., Tac. H. 4, 52; so, dicebatur, id. A. 1, 10: in hac habitasse platea dictum'st Chrysidem, Ter. And. 4, 5, 1: dictum est, Caes. B. G. 1, 1, 5; Liv. 38, 56; Quint. 6, 1, 27: ut pulsis hostibus dici posset, eos, etc., Caes. B. G. 1, 46, 3. Cf. also: hoc, illud dicitur, with acc. and inf., Cic. Fin. 5, 24, 72; id. de Or. 1, 33, 150; Quint. 4, 2, 91; 11, 3, 177 al. —Esp. in histt. in reference to what has been previously related: ut supra dictum est, Sall. J. 96, 1: sicut ante dictum est, Nep. Dion. 9, 5; cf. Curt. 3, 7, 7; 5, 1, 11; 8, 6, 2 et saep.—
c (See Zumpt, Gram. § 607.) Dicor, diceris, dicitur, with nom. and inf., it is said that I, thou, he, etc.; or, they say that I, thou, etc.: ut nos dicamur duo omnium dignissimi esse, Plaut. As. 2, 2, 47: cf. Quint. 4, 4, 6: dicar Princeps Aeolium carmen ad Italos Deduxisse modos, Hor. Od. 3, 30, 10 al.: illi socius esse diceris, Plaut. Rud. 1, 2, 72: aedes Demaenetus ubi dicitur habitare, id. As. 2, 3, 2: qui (Pisistratus) primus Homeri libros confusos antea sic disposuisse dicitur, ut nunc habemus, Cic. de Or. 3, 34, 137 et saep.: quot annos nata dicitur? Plaut. Cist. 4, 2, 89: is nunc dicitur venturus peregre, id. Truc. 1, 1, 66 et saep. In a double construction, with nom. and inf., and acc. and inf. (acc. to no. b. and c.): petisse dicitur major Titius ... idque ab eis facile (sc. eum) impetrasse, Auct. B. Afr. 28 fin.; so Suet. Oth. 7.—
d Dictum ac factum or dictum factum (Gr. a(/ma e)/pos a(/ma e)/rgon), in colloq. lang., no sooner said than done, without delay, Ter. And. 2, 3, 7: dictum ac factum reddidi, it was "said and done" with me, id. Heaut. 4, 5, 12; 5, 1, 31; cf.: dicto citius, Verg. A. 1, 142; Hor. S. 2, 2, 80; and: dicto prope citius, Liv. 23, 47, 6.—
B In partic.
1 Pregn.
a To assert, affirm a thing as certain (opp. nego): quem esse negas, eundem esse dicis, Cic. Tusc. 1, 6, 12; cf.: dicebant, ego negabam, id. Fam. 3, 8, 5; and: quibus creditum non sit negantibus, iisdem credatur dicentibus? id. Rab. Post. 12, 35.—
b For dico with a negative, nego is used, q. v.; cf. Zumpt, Gram. § 799; but: dicere nihil esse pulchrius, etc., Liv. 30, 12, 6; 21, 9, 3 Fabri; so, freq. in Liv. when the negation precedes, id. 30, 22, 5; 23, 10, 13 al.; cf. Krebs, Antibar. p. 355.—
2 dico is often inserted parenthetically, to give emphasis to an apposition: utinam C. Caesari, patri, dico adulescenti contigisset, etc., Cic. Phil. 5, 18, 49; id. Tusc. 5, 36, 105; id. Planc. 12, 30; Quint. 9, 2, 83; cf. Cic. Or. 58, 197; id. Tusc. 4, 16, 36; Sen. Ep. 14, 6; id. Vit. Beat. 15, 6; Quint. 1, 6, 24: ille mihi praesidium dederat, cum dico mihi, senatui dico populoque Romano, Cic. Phil. 11, 8, 20; Sen. Ep. 83, 12; Plin. Ep. 2, 20, 2; 3, 2, 2.—
3 In rhetor. and jurid. lang., to pronounce, deliver, rehearse, speak any thing.
(a) With acc.: oratio dicta de scripto, Cic. Planc. 30 fin.; cf.: sententiam de scripto, id. Att. 4, 3, 3: controversias, Quint. 3, 8, 51; 9, 2, 77: prooemium ac narrationem et argumenta, id. 2, 20, 10: exordia, id. 11, 3, 161: theses et communes locos, id. 2, 1, 9: materias, id. 2, 4, 41: versus, Cic. Or. 56, 189; Quint. 6, 3, 86: causam, of the defendant or his attorney, to make a defensive speech, to plead in defence, Cic. Rosc. Am. 5; id. Quint. 8; id. Sest. 8; Quint. 5, 11, 39; 7, 4, 3; 8, 2, 24 al.; cf. causas (said of the attorney), Cic. de Or. 1, 2, 5; 2, 8, 32 al.: jus, to pronounce judgment, id. Fl. 3; id. Fam. 13, 14; hence the praetor's formula: DO, DICO, ADDICO; v. do, etc.—
(b) With ad and acc. pers., to plead before a person or tribunal: ad unum judicem, Cic. Opt. Gen. 4, 10: ad quos? ad me, si idoneus videor qui judicem, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 29, § 72; Liv. 3, 41.—
(g) With ad and acc. of thing, to speak in reference to, in reply to: non audeo ad ista dicere, Cic. Tusc. 3, 32, 78; id. Rep. 1, 18, 30.—
(d) Absol.: nec idem loqui, quod dicere, Cic. Or. 32: est oratoris proprium, apte, distincte, ornate dicere, id. Off. 1, 1, 2; so, de aliqua re pro aliquo, contra aliquem, etc., innumerable times in Cic. and Quint.: dixi, the t. t. at the end of a speech, I have done, Cic. Verr. 1 fin. Ascon. and Zumpt, a. h. 1.; thus, dixerunt, the t. t. by which the praeco pronounced the speeches of the parties to be finished, Quint. 1, 5, 43; cf. Spald. ad Quint. 6, 4, 7.—Transf. beyond the judicial sphere: causam nullam or causam haud dico, I have no objection, Plaut. Mil. 5, 34; id. Capt. 3, 4, 92; Ter. Ph. 2, 1, 42.—
4 To describe, relate, sing, celebrate in writing (mostly poet.): tibi dicere laudes, Tib. 1, 3, 31; so, laudes Phoebi et Dianae, Hor. C. S. 76: Dianam, Cynthium, Latonam, id. C. 1, 21, 1: Alciden puerosque Ledae, id. ib. 1, 12, 25: caelestes, pugilemve equumve, id. ib. 4, 2, 19: Pelidae stomachum, id. ib. 1, 6, 5: bella, id. Ep. 1, 16, 26; Liv. 7, 29: carmen, Hor. C. 1, 32, 3; id. C. S. 8; Tib. 2, 1, 54: modos, Hor. C. 3, 11, 7: silvestrium naturas, Plin. 15, 30, 40, § 138 et saep.: temporibus Augusti dicendis non defuere decora ingenia, Tac. A. 1, 1; id. H. 1, 1: vir neque silendus neque dicendus sine cura, Vell. 2, 13.—
b Of prophecies, to predict, foretell: bellicosis fata Quiritibus Hac lege dico, ne, etc., Hor. C. 3, 3, 58: sortes per carmina, id. A. P. 403: quicquid, id. S. 2, 5, 59: hoc (Delphi), Ov. Tr. 4, 8, 43 et saep.—
5 To pronounce, articulate a letter, syllable, word: Demosthenem scribit Phalereus, cum Rho dicere nequiret, etc., Cic. Div. 2, 46, 96; id. de Or. 1, 61, 260; Quint. 1, 4, 8; 1, 7, 21 al.—
6 To call, to name: habitum quendam vitalem corporis esse, harmoniam Graii quam dicunt, Lucr. 3, 106; cf.: Latine dicimus elocutionem, quam Graeci fra/sin vocant, Quint. 8, 1, 1: Chaoniamque omnem Trojano a Chaone dixit, Verg. A. 3, 335: hic ames dici pater atque princeps, Hor. Od. 1, 2, 50: uxor quondam tua dicta, Verg. A. 2, 678 et saep. —Prov.: dici beatus ante obitum nemo debet, Ov. M. 3, 135.—
7 To name, appoint one to an office: ut consules roget praetor vel dictatorem dicat, Cic. Att. 9, 15, 2: so, dictatorem, Liv. 5, 9; 7, 26; 8, 29: consulem, id. 10, 15; 24, 9; 26, 22 (thrice): magistrum equitum, id. 6, 39: aedilem, id. 9, 46: arbitrum bibendi, Hor. Od. 2, 7, 26 et saep.—
8 To appoint, set apart. fix upon, settle: nam mea bona meis cognatis dicam, inter eos partiam, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 113; cf. Pompon. ap. Non. 280, 19: dotis paululum vicino suo, Afran. ib. 26: pecuniam omnem suam doti, Cic. Fl. 35: quoniam inter nos nuptiae sunt dictae, Afran. ap. Non. 280, 24; cf.: diem nuptiis, Ter. And. 1, 1, 75: diem operi, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 57: diem juris, Plaut. Men. 4, 2, 16: diem exercitui ad conveniendum Pharas, Liv. 36, 8; cf. id. 42, 28, and v. dies: locum consiliis, id. 25, 16: leges pacis, id. 33, 12; cf.: leges victis, id. 34, 57: legem tibi, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 18; Ov. M. 6, 137; cf.: legem sibi, to give sentence upon one's self, id. ib. 13, 72: pretium muneri, Hor. C. 4, 8, 12 et saep.—With inf.: prius data est, quam tibi dari dicta, Pac. ap. Non. 280, 28. —Pass. impers.: eodem Numida inermis, ut dictum erat, accedit, Sall. J. 113, 6.—
9 To utter, express, esp. in phrases: non dici potest, dici vix potest, etc.: non dici potest quam flagrem desiderio urbis, Cic. Att. 5, 11, 1; 5, 17, 5: dici vix potest quanta sit vis, etc., id. Leg. 2, 15, 38; Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 57, § 127; id. Or. 17, 55; id. Red. ad Quir. 1, 4; cf. Quint. 2, 2, 8; 11, 3, 85.—
10 (Mostly in colloq. lang.) Alicui, like our vulg. to tell one so and so, for to admonish, warn, threaten him: dicebam, pater, tibi, ne matri consuleres male, Plaut. As. 5, 2, 88; cf. Nep. Datam. 5; Ov. Am. 1, 14, 1.—Esp. freq.: tibi (ego) dico, I tell you, Plaut. Curc. 4, 2, 30; id. Bacch. 4, 9, 76; id. Men. 2, 3, 27; id. Mil. 2, 2, 62 et saep.; Ter. And. 1, 2, 33 Ruhnk.; id. ib. 4, 4, 23; id. Eun. 2, 3, 46; 87; Phaedr. 4, 19, 18; cf.: tibi dicimus, Ov. H. 20, 153; id. M. 9, 122; so, dixi, I have said it, i. e. you may depend upon it, it shall be done, Ter. Phorm. 2, 3, 90; 92.—
11 Dicere sacramentum or sacramento, to take an oath, to swear; v. sacramentum.
II Transf., i. q. intellego, Gr. fhmi/, to mean so and so; it may sometimes be rendered in English by namely, to wit: nec quemquam vidi, qui magis ea, quae timenda esse negaret, timeret, mortem dico et deos, Cic. N. D. 1, 31, 86; id. de Or. 3, 44, 174: M. Sequar ut institui divinum illum virum, quem saepius fortasse laudo quam necesse est. At. Platonem videlicet dicis, id. Leg. 3, 1: uxoris dico, non tuam, Plaut. As. 1, 1, 30 et saep.—Hence, dictum, i, n., something said, i. e. a saying, a word.
A In gen.: haut doctis dictis certantes sed male dictis, Enn. ap. Gell. 20, 10 (Ann. v. 274 Vahl.; acc. to Hertz.: nec maledictis); so, istaec dicta dicere, Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 40: docta, id. ib. 2, 2, 99; id. Men. 2, 1, 24; Lucr. 5, 113; cf. condocta, Plaut. Poen. 3, 2, 3: meum, id. As. 2, 4, 1: ridiculum, id. Capt. 3, 1, 22: minimum, Cic. Fam. 1, 9: ferocibus dictis rem nobilitare, Liv. 23, 47, 4 al.: ob admissum foede dictumve superbe, Lucr. 5, 1224; cf. facete, Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 73; id. Poen. 3, 3, 24; Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 57; Cic. Off. 1, 29, 104 al.: lepide, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 103: absurde, id. Capt. 1, 1, 3: vere, Nep. Alc. 8, 4: ambigue, Hor. A. P. 449 et saep.—Pleon.: feci ego istaec dicta quae vos dicitis (sc. me fecisse), Plaut. Casin. 5, 4, 17.—
B In partic.
1 A saying, maxim, proverb: aurea dicta, Lucr. 3, 12; cf. veridica, id. 6, 24: Catonis est dictum. Pedibus compensari pecuniam, Cic. Fl. 29 fin. Hence, the title of a work by Caesar: Dicta collectanea (his *)apofqe/gmata, mentioned in Cic. Fam. 9, 16), Suet. Caes. 56.—Esp. freq.,
2 For facete dictum, a witty saying, bon-mot, Enn. ap. Cic. de Or. 2, 54 fin. (cf. Cic. ap. Macr. S. 2, 1 fin.); Cic. Phil. 2, 17; Quint. 6, 3, 2; 16; 36; Liv. 7, 33, 3; Hor. A. P. 273 et saep.; cf. also, dicterium.—
3 Poetry, verse (abstr. and concr.): dicti studiosus, Enn. ap. Cic. Brut. 18, 71: rerum naturam expandere dictis, Lucr. 1, 126; 5, 56: Ennius hirsuta cingat sua dicta corona, Prop. 4 (5), 1, 61.—
4 A prediction, prophecy, Lucr. 1, 103; Verg. A. 2, 115; Val. Fl. 2, 326 al.; cf. dictio.—
5 An order, command: dicto paruit consul, Liv. 9, 41; cf. Verg. A. 3, 189; Ov. M. 8, 815: haec dicta dedit, Liv. 3, 61; cf. id. 7, 33; 8, 34; 22, 25 al.: dicto audientem esse and dicto audire alicui, v. audio.—
6 A promise, assurance: illi dixerant sese dedituros ... Cares, tamen, non dicto capti, etc., Nep. Milt. 2, 5; Fur. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1, 34.

3. dico — Walde–Hofmann

dico (alt deicö), dixi (alt -ei-), dictum, -ere „spreche, spreche aus, verkündige, rede, singe ; setze fest, bestimme; nenne, ernenne‘ (seit Enn., rom., ebenso ad-, con- seit Plaut., dietäre ‚wiederholt sagen, diktieren, befehlen* seit Lucil, -ata Ntr. Pl. „Vorschriften, Regeln“ seit Cic.), dicó, -ävi, -Atum, -äre „verkünde feierlich* (Lucil); „weihe, widme*, refl. „gebe mich hin“ (seit Enn. und Plaut., rom., ebenso … — [Walde–Hofmann, s.v. dico, p. 380]

In the wild

6 of 29,784 attestations shown.

Where it came from

  • Ernout-Meillet, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue latine Treated in Ernout-Meillet, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue latine s.v. dico (scan p. 196; entry #3058).
  • Walde-Hofmann, Lateinisches etymologisches Worterbuch Treated in Walde-Hofmann, Lateinisches etymologisches Worterbuch s.v. dico (scan pp. 380-382; entry #924). Root candidates: *di-, *deik-, *deig-.

Latin text and lemmatization derived from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-latinLit), CC BY-SA 4.0. Lewis & Short (public domain) via Perseus. This derived data is shared under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 license.