French

Noun

dico m ‎(plural dicos)

1. (informal) dictionary

   J'adore ce dico!‎

   I love this dictionary

Italian

Verb

dico

1. first-person singular present tense of dire

Latin

Etymology 1

From Proto-Italic *deikō, from Proto-Indo-European *déyḱti ‎(“to show, point out”).

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdiː.koː/

Verb

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

1. I say, utter; mention; talk, speak.

   Dixit duas res ei rubori fuisse.

   He said that two things had abashed him.

   • 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.

2. I declare, state.
   1. I affirm, assert (positively).
3. I tell.
   • c. 254–184 BCE, Plautus, Captivi ("The Captives"), 623, (English and Latin text)

     Eho dic mihi, quis illic igitur est?

     Hey? Tell me, who is he then?

4. I appoint, fix, name (to an office).
5. I call, name.
6. (law, followed by ad) I plead (before).
7. I speak in reference to, refer to.

Inflection

Synonyms

• (say): for, loquor, āiō

Derived terms

Descendants

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

• IPA^(key): /ˈdi.koː/

Verb

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

1. I dedicate, devote.
2. I consecrate, deify.
3. I appropriate to, devote to, assign to, set apart for.

Inflection

Derived terms

• abdicō
• dēdicō
• indicō
• 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, 1883–1887)
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “dico”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, 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
    
• Andrew L. Sihler (1995) New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, New York, Oxford, Oxford University Press
• Julius Pokorny (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, in 3 vols, Bern, München: Francke Verlag