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formido in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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Latin
Etymology
The verb is probably derived from the noun.[1] Their origin is unknown:
- Possibly from the root Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- (“to hold”) (the same of firmus), as the fear that makes one rigid.
- Alternatively cognate with Ancient Greek μόρμορος (mórmoros, “fear, panic”), μύρμος (múrmos, “fear”) and μορμώ (mormṓ, “bogey, she-monster”), with the same dissimilation *morm- > form- seen in formīca and possibly fōrma.[2][1]
If this is of Proto-Indo-European origin, it would appear to be a reduplication of a root *mer-, possibly the same root as *mer- (“to disturb”) and/or the source of *mor- (“incubus, mare (evil female spirit of nightmares)”) (which is otherwise thought to be from *mer- (“to disappear, die”)). (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?) However, de Vaan reconstructs only a stem *mormo- which he does not allow an etymology.
If not Indo-European, then a substrate origin must be considered, which the variation of forms in Greek and morphological obscurity in both languages make likely. (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)
The suffix component -īd- is unexplained in either case.
Pronunciation
Verb
formīdō (present infinitive formīdāre, perfect active formīdāvī, supine formīdātum); first conjugation
- to dread or fear
- to be afraid of or for
Conjugation
Derived terms
Noun
formīdō f (genitive formīdinis); third declension
- fear, alarm, terror, dread
- fright, horror
- scarecrow
Declension
Third-declension noun.
Derived terms
References
Further reading
- “formido”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “formido”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- formido in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
- Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
- superstitious fears; phantoms: formidines
- Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 749