Talk:ecce

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

In both L&S and Thomas Cooper the word ecce is catgorized as a demonstrative adverb. Is it an interjection or an adverb? --BiT 05:16, 7 May 2008 (UTC)Reply

RFV discussion: December 2018–January 2019

[edit]

The following discussion has been moved from Wiktionary:Requests for verification (permalink).

This discussion is no longer live and is left here as an archive. Please do not modify this conversation, but feel free to discuss its conclusions.


"used to call attention to one persecuted unjustly" Doesn't this just mean "look, behold", if it is attestable at all in English? ←₰-→ Lingo Bingo Dingo (talk) 10:45, 19 December 2018 (UTC)Reply

I remember watching ecce being given at the National Spelling Bee finals on ESPN several years back, and this (used to call attention to one persecuted unjustly) was how the pronouncer defined it. Khemehekis (talk) 11:08, 19 December 2018 (UTC)Reply
The definition is quite plausible, because most English speakers' familiarity with the word (at least at one time) likely comes from the famous phrase in the Vulgate, "Ecce homo", uttered by Pontius Pilate in reference to Jesus after his scourging. Andrew Sheedy (talk) 18:51, 19 December 2018 (UTC)Reply
I found three cites that use it in English (as opposed to mentions or uses in Latin) -- they are on the citations page. In one case, it was italicized, which could be taken to mean that the author considered it Latin. In all three cases, the meaning seemed more to echo the Latin definition ("Behold") rather than the given definition. Kiwima (talk) 21:27, 19 December 2018 (UTC)Reply
Added two more, so a sense "behold" would probably pass. ←₰-→ Lingo Bingo Dingo (talk) 14:32, 20 December 2018 (UTC)Reply
I have redefined it accordingly. IMO this passes, although I haven't removed the tag as the discussion has only been here for a few days. - -sche (discuss) 05:40, 24 December 2018 (UTC)Reply
Passed. - -sche (discuss) 23:07, 5 January 2019 (UTC)Reply