marceo

Latin

Alternative forms

• marciō (late)

Etymology

De Vaan derives the verb from Proto-Indo-European *mr̥k-eh₁-, from a root *merk- (“to be soaked; to be weak”), and compares Hittite [script needed] (markii̯e/a-, “to disapprove of, refuse”), Sanskrit मृच् (mṛc, “to injure”), Lithuanian mer̃kti (“to soak”), Middle High German meren (“to dip bread into water or wine”).

The proposed connections with murcus, ἀμόργη (amórgē), Proto-Celtic *mrakis (“malt”) and Lithuanian markýti (“to macerate, to ret”) are problematic for various reasons.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈmar.ke.oː/, [ˈmärkeoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈmar.t͡ʃe.o/, [ˈmärt͡ʃeo]

Verb

marceō (present infinitive marcēre, perfect active marcuī); second conjugation, no passive, no supine stem

1. to wither, droop, shrink, shrivel
   • 64, Seneca, De Providentia:

     Marcet sine adversario virtus.

     Valour without an adversary withers.

2. to be faint, weak, lazy or languid

Conjugation

Conjugation of marceō (second conjugation, no supine stem, active only)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	marceō	marcēs	marcet	marcēmus	marcētis	marcent
	imperfect	marcēbam	marcēbās	marcēbat	marcēbāmus	marcēbātis	marcēbant
	future	marcēbō	marcēbis	marcēbit	marcēbimus	marcēbitis	marcēbunt
	perfect	marcuī	marcuistī	marcuit	marcuimus	marcuistis	marcuērunt, marcuēre
	pluperfect	marcueram	marcuerās	marcuerat	marcuerāmus	marcuerātis	marcuerant
	future perfect	marcuerō	marcueris	marcuerit	marcuerimus	marcueritis	marcuerint
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	marceam	marceās	marceat	marceāmus	marceātis	marceant
	imperfect	marcērem	marcērēs	marcēret	marcērēmus	marcērētis	marcērent
	perfect	marcuerim	marcuerīs	marcuerit	marcuerīmus	marcuerītis	marcuerint
	pluperfect	marcuissem	marcuissēs	marcuisset	marcuissēmus	marcuissētis	marcuissent
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	marcē	—	—	marcēte	—
	future	—	marcētō	marcētō	—	marcētōte	marcentō
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		marcēre	marcuisse	—	—	—	—
participles		marcēns	—	—	—	—	—
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		marcendī	marcendō	marcendum	marcendō	—	—

Derived terms

• commarceō
• marcēns
• marcēscō
• marcidus
• marcor
• marculentus

Related terms

• marcidulus
• marculentus

Descendants

Reflexes of the late variant marcīre:

• Italo-Romance:
  • Corsican: marzì, marcì, merzì, mercì
  • Italian: marcire
  • Neapolitan: marcì
  • Sicilian: marciri
• North Italian:
  • Emilian: marzîr
  • Ladin: marcir (Fassano)
  • Ligurian: marçî
  • Lombard: marscì
  • Piedmontese: marcé
  • Romagnol: marẓir
  • Venetan: marsir
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Old Catalan: marcir
    • Catalan: marcir
  • Old French: marcir
    • Middle French: marcir
    • Old Lorrain: mercir, maircir
  • Old Occitan: marçar, *marcir
    • Occitan: marcir
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Vulgar Latin: *marcītus
    • Mozarabic: *marčíto
      • → Spanish: marchito
• Insular Romance:
  • Sardinian: martzire

    Campidanese: marcire, marciri

    Logudorese: maltzire, martzire

    Nuorese: martzire

References

• “marceo”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “marceo”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• marceo in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Ernout, Alfred, Meillet, Antoine (1985) “marceo”, in Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine: histoire des mots‎^[1] (in French), 4th edition, with additions and corrections of Jacques André, Paris: Klincksieck, published 2001, pages 386–387