nuncupo

Latin

Etymology

From nōmen (“name”) and capiō (“seize, catch”). De Vaan says the original compound must have been a nominal of the form *nōmiceps, with the meaning 'taking a name, declaring', from which was derived a verb of the first conjugation.^[1] This would have undergone syncope, passing through steps like the following: *nōmicupāre > *nōncupāre > *noncupāre > nuncupāre.

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈnun.ku.poː/, [ˈnʊŋkʊpoː]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈnun.ku.po/, [ˈnuŋkupo]

Note: while some outdated dictionaries list the length of the vowel in the first syllable as long, the change /o > u/ testifies that it was short; see etymology above and compare uncus.

Verb

nuncupō (present infinitive nuncupāre, perfect active nuncupāvī, supine nuncupātum); first conjugation

to call by name; to name
(law) to publicly name or appoint as heir
to vow publicly
to announce publicly or officially
Synonyms: adnūntiō, dēnūntiō, nūntiō, indicō, prōdō, renūntiō, profiteor, ēdīcō, praedicō, cōntiōnor, referō

Conjugation

Conjugation of nuncupō (first conjugation)

indicative		singular			plural
indicative		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	nuncupō	nuncupās	nuncupat	nuncupāmus	nuncupātis	nuncupant
	imperfect	nuncupābam	nuncupābās	nuncupābat	nuncupābāmus	nuncupābātis	nuncupābant
	future	nuncupābō	nuncupābis	nuncupābit	nuncupābimus	nuncupābitis	nuncupābunt
	perfect	nuncupāvī	nuncupāvistī	nuncupāvit	nuncupāvimus	nuncupāvistis	nuncupāvērunt, nuncupāvēre
	pluperfect	nuncupāveram	nuncupāverās	nuncupāverat	nuncupāverāmus	nuncupāverātis	nuncupāverant
	future perfect	nuncupāverō	nuncupāveris	nuncupāverit	nuncupāverimus	nuncupāveritis	nuncupāverint
	sigmatic future¹	nuncupāssō	nuncupāssis	nuncupāssit	nuncupāssimus	nuncupāssitis	nuncupāssint
passive	present	nuncupor	nuncupāris, nuncupāre	nuncupātur	nuncupāmur	nuncupāminī	nuncupantur
	imperfect	nuncupābar	nuncupābāris, nuncupābāre	nuncupābātur	nuncupābāmur	nuncupābāminī	nuncupābantur
	future	nuncupābor	nuncupāberis, nuncupābere	nuncupābitur	nuncupābimur	nuncupābiminī	nuncupābuntur
	perfect	nuncupātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	nuncupātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	nuncupātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
subjunctive		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	nuncupem	nuncupēs	nuncupet	nuncupēmus	nuncupētis	nuncupent
imperfect	nuncupārem	nuncupārēs	nuncupāret	nuncupārēmus	nuncupārētis	nuncupārent
perfect	nuncupāverim	nuncupāverīs	nuncupāverit	nuncupāverīmus	nuncupāverītis	nuncupāverint
pluperfect	nuncupāvissem	nuncupāvissēs	nuncupāvisset	nuncupāvissēmus	nuncupāvissētis	nuncupāvissent
sigmatic aorist¹	nuncupāssim	nuncupāssīs	nuncupāssīt	nuncupāssīmus	nuncupāssītis	nuncupāssint
passive	present	nuncuper	nuncupēris, nuncupēre	nuncupētur	nuncupēmur	nuncupēminī	nuncupentur
imperfect	nuncupārer	nuncupārēris, nuncupārēre	nuncupārētur	nuncupārēmur	nuncupārēminī	nuncupārentur
perfect	nuncupātus + present active subjunctive of sum
pluperfect	nuncupātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
imperative		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	nuncupā	—	—	nuncupāte	—
active	future	—	nuncupātō	nuncupātō	—	nuncupātōte	nuncupantō
passive	present	—	nuncupāre	—	—	nuncupāminī	—
passive	future	—	nuncupātor	nuncupātor	—	—	nuncupantor
non-finite forms		active			passive
non-finite forms		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		nuncupāre	nuncupāvisse	nuncupātūrum esse	nuncupārī	nuncupātum esse	nuncupātum īrī
participles		nuncupāns	—	nuncupātūrus	—	nuncupātus	nuncupandus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		nuncupandī	nuncupandō	nuncupandum	nuncupandō	nuncupātum	nuncupātū

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").

Derived terms

Descendants

→ English: nuncupate

References

^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “nōmen”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 412