Talk:depotate

See discussion of "depotate" on English Wikipedia. --Una Smith 17:07, 13 December 2008 (UTC)

despotate. I can't find anything valid on depotate. DCDuring TALK 21:11, 13 December 2008 (UTC)

In his 1858 book, w:Patrick Leonard MacDougall refers to 3rd Century BC depotates (plural) transporting wounded soldiers from the battlefield. I am trying to source that. --Una Smith 00:20, 15 December 2008 (UTC)

MacDougall cite, etc.

If there is a word in the Latin (and not the Greek or Carthaginian), then I'd guess it's related to potior (“take possession of”) or portō (“carry”). --EncycloPetey 02:15, 15 December 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. I wonder about General MacDougall's command of Latin and his source. DCDuring TALK 04:04, 15 December 2008 (UTC)

It could also be that he had an inaccurate source, or perhaps was reading through a French discussion. The word could have French roots. Unfortunately, I don't know what his source was, or I might be able to say more, particularly if it was a Classical writer and I could find a relevant passage in the original Latin. --EncycloPetey 18:24, 15 December 2008 (UTC)

I've looked into his work further. It was a popular work without footnotes or bibliography. Here is what he writes about his sources: "The following Narrative of the Campaigns of Hannibal has been carefully compiled from the different and, in many cases, differing accounts of the best ancient and modern historians and essayists, including Livy, Polybius, Sir Walter Raleigh, Niebuhr, Arnold, Guiscard, and Vaudancourt."

Unless those few words, plus the quote, give you the scent, it doesn't seem we can run this to ground. Are there any other hounds who might have the nose for this? We should probably just rfv it and let that process run its course. DCDuring TALK 19:28, 15 December 2008 (UTC)

There's no one on Wiktionary (or Wikipedia) that I'd expect to be able to track this down. The two friends I have who might be able to are both swamped with responsibilities right now. Still, one of them has a Classics education and might relish trying to find the information if she finds the time. I'll pass this along to her. --EncycloPetey 19:36, 15 December 2008 (UTC)

To me it is beginning to have an aroma more of MSG than of real meat. DCDuring TALK 19:42, 15 December 2008 (UTC)

Well, it does appear to exist in French (in some form), and I have one cite I've found that suggests there may be an Eccleciastical Latin depotatus (deputy), but niether of these pertain to the current situation. I've sent off a query to my friend. --EncycloPetey 19:52, 15 December 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. Sometimes I enjoy these things. Sometimes I wonder if there will ever be someone who will need or want to find them. DCDuring TALK 23:15, 15 December 2008 (UTC)

I want to find this one, so I thank you both. --Una Smith 14:38, 16 December 2008 (UTC)

I just received this reply:

There is a typo in the MacDougall quote or it would make sense. The word should be deportantes. That is the nominative plural of the present participle of the verb deporto which means to carry off or to carry away. (It is the source for the English verb deport.)

--EncycloPetey 23:22, 15 December 2008 (UTC)

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A 19th Century source says that depotates (ambulance attendants) served with Hannibal's army (3rd Century), so presumably the term originates in Latin? I would like more sourcing for this sense. There is a second sense that sometimes is rendered despotate; is depotate an alternate spelling? --Una Smith 15:48, 13 December 2008 (UTC)

Further discussion shows that the first sense of an "ambulance attendant" is probably a typo/error for Latin deportantes, which is substantive use of a plural participle form. --EncycloPetey 18:57, 16 December 2008 (UTC)

RFV failed, entry deleted, citation moved to [[Citations:depotate]] (with redirect from [[Citations:depotates]]). —Ruakh_TALK 02:56, 4 December 2009 (UTC)