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 passive, no supine stem)

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		infinitive						participle
		active			passive			active			passive
present		marcēre			—			marcēns			—
perfect		marcuisse			—			—			—
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-Dalmatian:
  • Corsican: marzì, marcì, merzì, mercì
  • Italian: marcire
  • Neapolitan: marcì
  • Sicilian: marciri
  • Venetan: marsir
• Rhaeto-Romance.
  • Ladin: marcir (Fassano)
• Gallo-Italic:
  • Emilian: marzîr
  • Ligurian: marçî
  • Lombard: marscì
  • Piedmontese: marcé
  • Romagnol: marẓir
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Old Catalan: marcir
    • Catalan: marcir
    • →? Spanish: marcir
  • Old French: marcir
    • Middle French: marcir
    • Old Lorrain: mercir, maircir
  • Old Occitan: marçar, *marcir
    • Occitan: marcir
• Insular Romance:
  • Sardinian: martzire

    Campidanese: marcire, marciri

    Logudorese: maltzire, martzire

    Nuorese: martzire

• ⇒ Vulgar Latin: *marcītus
  • Mozarabic: *marčíto
    • → Spanish: marchito

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