dico

French

Etymology

Clipping of dictionnaire (“dictionary”) + -o (familiarizing suffix) [second half of 20th century].

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /di.ko/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophones: dicot, dicots
• Rhymes: -o

Noun

dico m (plural dicos)

1. (informal) dictionary

   Synonym: dictionnaire

   J’adore ce dico! ― I love this dictionary!

Further reading

• “dictionnaire”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdi.ko/
• Rhymes: -iko
• Hyphenation: dì‧co

Verb

dico

1. first-person singular present indicative of dire

Latin

Etymology 1

From Proto-Italic *deikō, from Proto-Indo-European *déyḱti (“to show, point out”) (reformed as a thematic verb). The perfect forms are derived from Proto-Indo-European *dḗyḱst.

Cognates include Oscan 𐌃𐌄𐌝𐌊𐌖𐌌 (deíkum, “to show, point out”), Sanskrit दिशति (diśáti), Ancient Greek δείκνυμι (deíknumi) and Old English tǣċan (English teach).

Alternative forms

• deicō (archaic)

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈdiː.koː/, [ˈd̪iːkoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈdi.ko/, [ˈd̪iːko]

Verb

dīcō (present infinitive dīcere, perfect active dīxī, supine dictum); third conjugation, irregular short imperative

1. to say, talk, speak, utter, mention,

   Synonyms: aiō, for, effor, inquam, ōrō, alloquor, loquor

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 4.204–205:

     dīcitur ante ārās media inter nūmina dīvum
     multa Iovem manibus supplex ōrāsse supīnīs

     It is said [that King Iarbas] – before the altars, amid divine presences all around – often prostrated himself, with hands raised in supplication, to implore Jupiter.

   • 405 CE, Jerome, Vulgate Genesis.1.3:

     dixitque Deus fiat lux et facta est lux

     And God said: Be light made. And light was made.

   Salūtem dīcit. ― He says hi. (literally, “He says health.”)

2. to declare, state
   1. to affirm, assert (positively)

      Synonyms: aiō, fīgō, contendō

3. to tell
   • c. 200 BCE – 190 BCE, Plautus, Captivi 623, (English and Latin text):

     Eho dic mihi, quis illic igitur est?

     Hey? Tell me, who is he then?

4. to appoint, name, nominate (to an office)
5. to call, name
   • 8 CE, Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.5–7:

     Ante mare et terrās et quod tegit omnia caelum
     ūnus erat tōtō nātūrae vultus in orbe,
     quem dīxēre chaos: […]

     Before the sea and the lands and the sky that covers over all things,
     there was one face of nature in the whole world,
     which they called chaos: […]

6. (law, followed by ad) to plead (before)
7. to mean, speak in reference to, refer to

Conjugation

Conjugation of dīcō (third conjugation, irregular short imperative)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	dīcō	dīcis	dīcit	dīcimus	dīcitis	dīcunt
	imperfect	dīcēbam	dīcēbās	dīcēbat	dīcēbāmus	dīcēbātis	dīcēbant
	future	dīcam, dīcēbō2	dīcēs	dīcet, dīcēbit2	dīcēmus	dīcētis	dīcent
	perfect	dīxī	dīxistī, dīxtī	dīxit	dīximus	dīxistis	dīxērunt, dīxēre
	pluperfect	dīxeram	dīxerās	dīxerat	dīxerāmus	dīxerātis	dīxerant
	future perfect	dīxerō	dīxeris	dīxerit	dīxerimus	dīxeritis	dīxerint
	sigmatic future1	dīxō	dīxis	dīxit	dīximus	dīxitis	dīxint
passive	present	dīcor	dīceris, dīcere	dīcitur	dīcimur	dīciminī	dīcuntur
	imperfect	dīcēbar	dīcēbāris, dīcēbāre	dīcēbātur	dīcēbāmur	dīcēbāminī	dīcēbantur
	future	dīcar	dīcēris, dīcēre	dīcētur	dīcēmur	dīcēminī	dīcentur
	perfect	dictus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	dictus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	dictus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	dīcam	dīcās	dīcat	dīcāmus	dīcātis	dīcant
	imperfect	dīcerem	dīcerēs	dīceret	dīcerēmus	dīcerētis	dīcerent
	perfect	dīxerim	dīxerīs	dīxerit	dīxerīmus	dīxerītis	dīxerint
	pluperfect	dīxissem	dīxissēs	dīxisset	dīxissēmus	dīxissētis	dīxissent
	sigmatic aorist1	dīxim	dīxīs	dīxīt	dīxīmus	dīxītis	dīxint
passive	present	dīcar	dīcāris, dīcāre	dīcātur	dīcāmur	dīcāminī	dīcantur
	imperfect	dīcerer	dīcerēris, dīcerēre	dīcerētur	dīcerēmur	dīcerēminī	dīcerentur
	perfect	dictus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	dictus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	dīc, dīce2	—	—	dīcite	—
	future	—	dīcitō	dīcitō	—	dīcitōte	dīcuntō
passive	present	—	dīcere	—	—	dīciminī	—
	future	—	dīcitor	dīcitor	—	—	dīcuntor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		dīcere	dīxisse, dīxe	dictūrum esse	dīcī, dīcier3	dictum esse	dictum īrī
participles		dīcēns	—	dictūrus	—	dictus	dīcendus, dīcundus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		dīcendī	dīcendō	dīcendum	dīcendō	dictum	dictū

¹At least one use of the archaic "sigmatic future" and "sigmatic aorist" tenses is attested, which are used by Old Latin writers; most notably Plautus and Terence. The sigmatic future is generally ascribed a future or future perfect meaning, while the sigmatic aorist expresses a possible desire ("might want to").
²Archaic.
³The present passive infinitive in -ier is a rare poetic form which is attested.

Derived terms

• abdīcō
• addīcō
• antedīcō
• benedīcō
• condīcō
• contrādīcō
• dicāx
• dictiō
• dictō
• dictus
• dixit
• ēdīcō
• indīcō
• interdīcō
• maledīcō
• praedīcō
• prōdīcō
• superdīcō
• valedīcō

 

Descendants

Some descendants are from *dire.

• Balkan Romance:
  • Aromanian: dzãc, dzãtsiri
  • Istro-Romanian: zic
  • Megleno-Romanian: zic, ziceri, zițiri
  • Romanian: zice, zicere
• Dalmatian:
  • dicro, decro, dekro
• Italo-Romance:
  • Corsican: dì
  • Gallurese: dì
  • Italian: dire
  • Neapolitan: dicere
  • Sassarese: dì
  • Sicilian: diri, dìciri
• North Italian:
  • Friulian: dî
  • Istriot: deî
  • Ladin: dì, dir
  • Ligurian: dî
  • Piedmontese: dì
  • Romansch: dir, deir (Surmiran), dür (Puter, Vallader), gir, dir (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Puter, Vallader), deir (Surmiran), deir, dir (Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Rumantsch Grischun), dür (Puter, Vallader)
  • Venetan: dir
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Franco-Provençal: dére
  • French: dire
    • → Esperanto: diri
  • Norman: dithe (Jersey)
  • Walloon: dire
• Occitano-Romance:
  • Catalan: dir, dire (Northern, Alghero), diure (Alghero)
  • Occitan: dire, díder, díser, díguer
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Navarro-Aragonese: dezir, deçir, dizir
    • Aragonese: decir, dicir
  • Old Leonese:
    • Asturian: dicir
    • Extremaduran: dizil
    • Leonese: dicire
    • Mirandese: dezir, dexir
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: dizer
    • Galician: dicir, dizer (reintegrationist), decer
    • Portuguese: dizer
  • Old Spanish: dezir, deçir, dicer, dizer, dizir
    • Ladino: dezir, dizer, dizir
    • Spanish: decir
• Borrowings:
  • → English: dictum, ipse dixit
  • → French: dixit

Etymology 2

Possibly from a lost *dex (seen in index > indicō, iūdex > iūdicō, vindex > vindicō), from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ-s, root nomen agentis from *deyḱ- (“to show”), whence dīcō.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈdi.koː/, [ˈd̪ɪkoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈdi.ko/, [ˈd̪iːko]

Verb

dicō (present infinitive dicāre, perfect active dicāvī, supine dicātum); first conjugation

1. to dedicate, devote

   Synonyms: dēdicō, sacrō, addīcō, sanciō, voveō

   • c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico 6.12:

     Ei, qui propter veteres inimicitias nullo modo cum Aeduis coniungi poterant, se Remis in clientelam dicabant.

     Those, who because of old animosities could not join with the Aedui, dedicated themselves as clients to the Remi.

2. to consecrate, deify

   Synonyms: cōnsecrō, sanciō

   Antonym: exaugurō

3. to appropriate to, devote to, assign to, set apart for

Conjugation

Conjugation of dicō (first conjugation)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	dicō	dicās	dicat	dicāmus	dicātis	dicant
	imperfect	dicābam	dicābās	dicābat	dicābāmus	dicābātis	dicābant
	future	dicābō	dicābis	dicābit	dicābimus	dicābitis	dicābunt
	perfect	dicāvī	dicāvistī	dicāvit	dicāvimus	dicāvistis	dicāvērunt, dicāvēre
	pluperfect	dicāveram	dicāverās	dicāverat	dicāverāmus	dicāverātis	dicāverant
	future perfect	dicāverō	dicāveris	dicāverit	dicāverimus	dicāveritis	dicāverint
passive	present	dicor	dicāris, dicāre	dicātur	dicāmur	dicāminī	dicantur
	imperfect	dicābar	dicābāris, dicābāre	dicābātur	dicābāmur	dicābāminī	dicābantur
	future	dicābor	dicāberis, dicābere	dicābitur	dicābimur	dicābiminī	dicābuntur
	perfect	dicātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	dicātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	dicātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	dicem	dicēs	dicet	dicēmus	dicētis	dicent
	imperfect	dicārem	dicārēs	dicāret	dicārēmus	dicārētis	dicārent
	perfect	dicāverim	dicāverīs	dicāverit	dicāverīmus	dicāverītis	dicāverint
	pluperfect	dicāvissem	dicāvissēs	dicāvisset	dicāvissēmus	dicāvissētis	dicāvissent
passive	present	dicer	dicēris, dicēre	dicētur	dicēmur	dicēminī	dicentur
	imperfect	dicārer	dicārēris, dicārēre	dicārētur	dicārēmur	dicārēminī	dicārentur
	perfect	dicātus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	dicātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	dicā	—	—	dicāte	—
	future	—	dicātō	dicātō	—	dicātōte	dicantō
passive	present	—	dicāre	—	—	dicāminī	—
	future	—	dicātor	dicātor	—	—	dicantor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		dicāre	dicāvisse	dicātūrum esse	dicārī	dicātum esse	dicātum īrī
participles		dicāns	—	dicātūrus	—	dicātus	dicandus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		dicandī	dicandō	dicandum	dicandō	dicātum	dicātū

Derived terms

• abdicō
• dēdicō
• dicātiō
• indicō
• iūdicō
• praedicō
• vindicō

 

Descendants

• → Portuguese: dicar

References

• “dico”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “dico”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• dico in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• dico in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to appoint a date for an interview: diem dicere colloquio
    
  • to whisper something in a person's ears: in aurem alicui dicere (insusurrare) aliquid
    
  • I heard him say..: ex eo audivi, cum diceret
    
  • every one says: vulgo dicitur, pervulgatum est
    
  • give me your opinion: dic quid sentias
    
  • to speak the truth, admit the truth: verum dicere, profiteri
    
  • to be truthful in all one's statements: omnia ad veritatem dicere
    
  • to have a superficial knowledge, a smattering of literature, of the sciences: primis (ut dicitur) or primoribus labris gustare or attingere litteras
    
  • to contradict some one: dicere contra aliquem or aliquid (not contradicere alicui)
    
  • they say; it is commonly said: tradunt, dicunt, ferunt
    
  • to speak extempore: subito, ex tempore (opp. ex praeparato) dicere
    
  • to speak very fluently: copiose dicere
    
  • to speak well, elegantly: ornate dicere
    
  • to speak frankly, independently: libere dicere (Verr. 2. 72. 176)
    
  • to speak openly, straightforwardly: plane, aperte dicere
    
  • to speak in clear, expressive language: perspicue, diserte dicere
    
  • to speak without circumlocution: missis ambagibus dicere
    
  • to be a persuasive speaker: accommodate ad persuadendum dicere
    
  • (1) to speak vehemently, passionately; (2) to speak pompously, boastfully: magnifice loqui, dicere
    
  • to speak at great length on a subject, discuss very fully: fusius, uberius, copiosius disputare, dicere de aliqua re
    
  • to read a speech: de scripto orationem habere, dicere (opp. sine scripto, ex memoria)
    
  • I said it in jest: haec iocatus sum, per iocum dixi
    
  • to be witty: facete dicere
    
  • to indulge in apt witticisms: facete et commode dicere
    
  • to make jokes on a person: dicta dicere in aliquem
    
  • to say in earnest..: serio dicere (Plaut. Bacch. 1. 1. 42)
    
  • to say only a few words: pauca dicere (pauca verba dicere only of the orator)
    
  • the word amicitia comes from amare: nomen amicitiae (or simply amicitia) dicitur ab amando
    
  • to be used in speaking of a thing: in aliqua re dici
    
  • anger is defined as a passionate desire for revenge: iracundiam sic (ita) definiunt, ut ulciscendi libidinem esse dicant or ut u. libido sit or iracundiam sic definiunt, ulc. libidinem
    
  • the word aemulatio is employed with two meanings, in a good and a bad sense: aemulatio dupliciter dicitur, ut et in laude et in vitio hoc nomen sit
    
  • as the proverb says: ut or quod or quomodo aiunt, ut or quemadmodum dicitur
    
  • Cicero says in his 'Laelius.: Cicero dicit in Laelio (suo) or in eo (not suo) libro, qui inscribitur Laelius
    
  • our (not noster) author tells us at this point: scriptor hoc loco dicit
    
  • Cicero says this somewhere: Cicero loco quodam haec dicit
    
  • to lose one's composure; to be disconcerted: de gradu deici, ut dicitur
    
  • to love some one very dearly, with all one's heart: aliquem toto pectore, ut dicitur, amare (Leg. 18. 49)
    
  • to tell lies: mendacium dicere
    
  • to tell lies: falsa (pro veris) dicere
    
  • to greet a person: salutem alicui dicere, impertire, nuntiare
    
  • Cicero sends cordial greetings to Atticus: Cicero Attico S.D.P. (salutem dicit plurimam)
    
  • to separate, be divorced (used of man or woman): repudium dicere or scribere alicui
    
  • to support a bill (before the people): pro lege dicere
    
  • to name a person dictator: dictatorem dicere (creare)
    
  • a dictator appoints a magister equitum: dictator dicit (legit) magistrum equitum
    
  • to give an opinion (also used of a judge, cf. sect. VI. 4): sententiam dicere
    
  • to administer justice (said of the praetor): ius dicere
    
  • to summon some one to appear on a given day; to accuse a person: diem dicere alicui
    
  • to give evidence on some one's behalf: testimonium dicere pro aliquo
    
  • to state as evidence: pro testimonio dicere
    
  • to address the court (of the advocate): causam dicere, orare (Brut. 12. 47)
    
  • to defend oneself before the judge (of the accused): causam dicere
    
  • to defend a person: causam dicere pro aliquo
    
  • to give sentence (of the judge, cf. sect. VI. 4, note Not...): sententiam ferre, dicere (Off. 3. 16. 66)
    
  • to take the military oath: sacramentum (o) dicere (vid. sect. XI. 2, note sacramentum...)
    
  • to dictate the terms of peace to some one: pacis condiciones dare, dicere alicui (Liv. 29. 12)
    
  • to sum up..: ut eorum, quae dixi, summam faciam
    
  • I will only say this much..: tantum or unum illud or hoc dico
    
  • this can be said of..., applies to..: hoc dici potest de aliqua re
    
  • I said en passant, by the way: dixi quasi praeteriens or in transitu
    
  • I have said it a thousand times: sexcenties, millies dixi
    
  • (ambiguous) as I said above: ut supra (opp. infra) diximus, dictum est
    
  • I cannot find words for..: dici vix (non) potest or vix potest dici (vix like non always before potest)
    
  • I avoid mentioning...; I prefer not to touch upon..: supersedeo oratione (not dicere)
    
  • I avoid mentioning...; I prefer not to touch upon..: omitto dicere
    
  • (ambiguous) this I have to say: haec habeo dicere or habeo quae dicam
    
  • he spoke (very much) as follows: haec (fere) dixit
    
  • the tenor of his speech was this..: hanc in sententiam dixit
    
  • which I can say without offence, arrogance: quod non arroganter dixerim
    
  • allow me to say: pace tua dixerim or dicere liceat
    
  • allow me to say: bona (cum) venia tua dixerim
    
  • (ambiguous) so much for this subject...; enough has been said on..: ac (sed) de ... satis dixi, dictum est
    
  • (ambiguous) a short, pointed witticism: breviter et commode dictum
    
  • (ambiguous) a witticism, bon mot: facete dictum
    
  • (ambiguous) a far-fetched joke: arcessitum dictum (De Or. 2. 63. 256)
    
  • (ambiguous) so to speak (used to modify a figurative expression): ut ita dicam
    
  • (ambiguous) not to mention..: ut non (nihil) dicam de...
    
  • (ambiguous) to say nothing further on..: ut plura non dicam
    
  • (ambiguous) not to say... (used in avoiding a stronger expression): ne dicam
    
  • (ambiguous) to say the least..: ne (quid) gravius dicam
    
  • (ambiguous) to put it briefly: ut breviter dicam
    
  • (ambiguous) to use the mildest expression: ut levissime dicam (opp. ut gravissimo verbo utar)
    
  • (ambiguous) to express myself more plainly: ut planius dicam
    
  • (ambiguous) to put it more exactly: ut verius dicam
    
  • (ambiguous) to say once for all: ut semel or in perpetuum dicam
    
  • (ambiguous) I will give you my true opinion: dicam quod sentio
    
  • (ambiguous) as I said above: ut supra (opp. infra) diximus, dictum est
    
  • (ambiguous) this I have to say: haec habeo dicere or habeo quae dicam
    
  • (ambiguous) so much for this subject...; enough has been said on..: ac (sed) de ... satis dixi, dictum est
    
  • (ambiguous) there is something in what you say; you are more or less right: aliquid (τι) dicis (opp. nihil dicis)
    
  • (ambiguous) what do you mean: quorsum haec (dicis)?
    
  • (ambiguous) it is incredible: monstra dicis, narras
    
• Sihler, Andrew L. (1995) New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN
• Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), Bern, München: Francke Verlag