ago

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See also: Ago, AGO, agó, aĝo, ägo, and -ago

English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English ago, agon (“passed”), past participle of agon (“to depart, escape, pass”), from Old English āgān (“to go away, pass away, go forth, come to pass”), from Proto-Germanic *uz- (“out”), *gāną (“to go”), equivalent to a- +‎ gone. Cognate with German ergehen (“to come to pass, fare, go forth”). Compare also Old Saxon āgangan (“to go or pass by”), Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽 (usgaggan, “to go forth”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

ago (comparative more ago, superlative most ago)

  1. (archaic or dialectal) Gone; gone by; gone away; passed; passed away.
    in days ago/in days agone
  2. (archaic or dialectal) Nearly gone; dead (used in Devonshire at the turn of the 19th century)
    Woe the day- she is agone!

Usage notes[edit]

  • Usually follows the noun.

Adverb[edit]

ago (comparative more ago, superlative most ago)

  1. before
    When they first met in 2000, my dad told my mom how he had gotten the money. The story begins 20 years ago.

Postposition[edit]

ago

  1. Before now.
    I got married ten years ago.

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  • G. A. Cooke, The County of Devon
  • ago at OneLook Dictionary Search
  • “ago” in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
  • “ago” in the Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries.

Anagrams[edit]

Albanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Ottoman Turkish آغا‎ (ağa) (compare Turkish ağa) or Greek άγιος (ágios).

Noun[edit]

ago m

  1. (Gheg, archaic, poetic) god

Esperanto[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin agō.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈaɡo/
  • Hyphenation: a‧go
  • Audio(file)

Noun[edit]

ago (accusative singular agon, plural agoj, accusative plural agojn)

  1. act, action

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Ido[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin agō.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

ago (plural agi)

  1. act, action, deed

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Istriot[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin acus.

Noun[edit]

ago m

  1. needle

Italian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin acus (“needle”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”). Compare Romanian ac.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

ago m (plural aghi)

  1. needle
    • 1947, Primo Levi, “Storia di dieci giorni”, in Se questo è un uomo [If This Is a Man], Torino: Einaudi, published 1987, →ISBN, page 190:
      Grazie alla mia ormai lunga esperienza delle cose del campo; ero riuscito a portare con me le mie cose personali: una cintura di fili elettrici intrecciati; il cucchiaio-coltello; un ago con tre gugliate; cinque bottoni; e infine, diciotto pietrine per acciarino che avevo rubato in Laboratoria.
      Thanks to my by now long experience with camp-related matters; I was able to bring with me my personal items: a belt made of braided electrical wires; the spoon-knife; a needle with three threads; five buttons; and lastly, eighteen flints for the lighter that I robbed from the Laboratory.

Related terms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Japanese[edit]

Romanization[edit]

ago

  1. Rōmaji transcription of あご

Karipúna Creole French[edit]

FWOTD – 26 July 2013

Pronunciation[edit]

Interjection[edit]

ago?

  1. may I come in?

References[edit]

  • 1987, Alfred W. Tobler, Dicionário Crioulo Karipúna/Português Português/Crioulo Karípúna, Summer Institute of Linguistics, page 43.

Latin[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Italic *agō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti.

Cognate with Old Irish aigid, Ancient Greek ἄγω (ágō, “I lead”), Old Norse aka (“move, drive”), Avestan 𐬀𐬰𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌‎ (azaiti), Sanskrit अजति (ájati, “to drive, propel, cast”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

agō (present infinitive agere, perfect active ēgī, supine āctum); third conjugation

  1. I act, I behave
    • 405, Jerome and others, Vulgate, Paralipomenon II 32:7
      viriliter agite et confortamini nolite timere nec paveatis regem Assyriorum […]
      "Act strongly and be courageous. Do not fear nor tremble before the king of Assyria"
    • 64 CE, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium Epistula 94, 6.1:
      ...doces illum quid sano faciendum sit, non efficis sanum. Pauperi ut agat divitem monstras: hoc quomodo manente paupertate fieri potest?
      ...you teach a man what a healthy man should do, but you don't make him healthy. You show the poor how to behave as a rich man: but if they remain poor, how can they do so?
  2. I do
    • "Agere...does not express, as facere does, the principle, author, nor a single act of producing; but a series of cares and a continued activity." - Latin Synonyms, with Their Different Significations, etc. by M. J. B. Gardin Dumesnil, Trans. Gosset, London, 1819.
    • "Agere, Facere et Gerere hoc differunt, quod agere et corporis, et vocis, et mentis agitatum comprehendit. Facere tantum refertur ad opera, quae corpore efficimus; aliquando et pro consentire ponitur. His enim loquendi modis utebantur recte antiqui: mecum seu tecum faciam, hoc est, mecum seu tecum consentiam. Gerere est muneris et oneris..." - Ausonii Popmae frisii de differentiis verborum cum additamentis ab Hekelii, Richteri, Messerschmidii et Vallaurii, 1865.
    • c. 200 BCE, Plautus Amphitryon 2.1.1
      (AMPHITRYON to SOSIA): age ī tū secundum,
      Direct/literal translation: "Do thou walk after/following (me)!" Functional/colloquial translation: "Come, do follow after me!"
    • 63 B.C.E., Cicero, Catiline Orations (Latin text and English translations here)
      Nihil agis, nihil moliris, nihil cogitas quod non ego non modo audiam sed etiam videam planeque sentiam.
      "You do nothing, you plan nothing, you think of nothing which I not only do not hear, but which I do not see and know every particular of."
  3. I make (something that does not continue to exist after the maker stops)
  4. I negotiate
  5. I effect, accomplish, achieve
  6. I treat, I deal
    • (Can we date this quote?) Virgil (in translation), Aeneid Book I, line 575
      Trōs Tyriusque mihī nūllō discrīmine agētur.
      "Trojan and Tyrian shall be treated by me with no distinction."
  7. I act, play, perform (e.g., a role in a play)
  8. I perform, transact, conduct, manage (e.g. business, affairs)
  9. I administer, direct, guide, govern
  10. I drive (sense of providing an impetus for motion), impel, move, push, put in motion
  11. I conduct, drive (sense of providing governance to motion)
    • 1877, Sophocles (in translation), Electra, in Aeschyli et Sophoclis: Tragoediae et Fragmenta (Paris: Institutiae Franciae Typographo)
      Intereā Orestēs postrēmus omnium ultimō locō equōs agēbat, in fīne certam spem victōriae ponēns.
      "Meanwhile, Orestes had been driving in last place and holding his horses back, putting his trust in the finish."
  12. I discuss, debate, deliberate (used in civil, political and legal contexts)
  13. (law) I plead
  14. I think upon; I am occupied with
    • 8 CE, Publius Ovidius Naso, Heroides Carmen IIX, Lines 208-212 (ultimate 5 lines):
      ingentis parturit ira minas. / Quo feret ira, sequar! facti fortasse pigebit — / Et piget infido consuluisse viro. / Viderit ista deus, qui nunc mea pectora versat! / Nescio quid certe mens mea maius agit!
      Tremndous anger abounds with threat. / I’ll follow where anger carries me. Perhaps I’ll regret my deeds: / I regret having given thought to the interests of an unfaithful husband. / Let the god see to that, which churns within my heart. / Assuredly, I don't know what occupies my mind more greatly!
  15. I aim at, I get at (generally in the subjunctive mood and preceded by ut, and so meaning: "that I might achieve...")
  16. I stir up, excite, cause, induce
  17. I lead, drive (e.g., livestock)
  18. I chase, pursue
  19. I drive at, pursue (a course of action)
  20. I rob, steal, plunder, carry off
  21. (of time) I pass, spend, lead
  22. (of offerings) I slay, kill (as a sacrifice)
  23. (of plants) I put forth, sprout, extend
  24. (law) I hold (a court)
  25. (passive) to go on, to take place, to be at issue

Conjugation[edit]

   Conjugation of agō (third conjugation)
indicative singular plural
first second third first second third
active present agō agis agit agimus agitis agunt
imperfect agēbam agēbās agēbat agēbāmus agēbātis agēbant
future agam agēs aget agēmus agētis agent
perfect ēgī ēgistī ēgit ēgimus ēgistis ēgērunt,
ēgēre
pluperfect ēgeram ēgerās ēgerat ēgerāmus ēgerātis ēgerant
future perfect ēgerō ēgeris ēgerit ēgerimus ēgeritis ēgerint
passive present agor ageris,
agere 		agitur agimur agiminī aguntur
imperfect agēbar agēbāris,
agēbāre 		agēbātur agēbāmur agēbāminī agēbantur
future agar agēris,
agēre 		agētur agēmur agēminī agentur
perfect āctus + present active indicative of sum
pluperfect āctus + imperfect active indicative of sum
future perfect āctus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive singular plural
first second third first second third
active present agam agās agat agāmus agātis agant
imperfect agerem agerēs ageret agerēmus agerētis agerent
perfect ēgerim ēgerīs ēgerit ēgerīmus ēgerītis ēgerint
pluperfect ēgissem ēgissēs ēgisset ēgissēmus ēgissētis ēgissent
passive present agar agāris,
agāre 		agātur agāmur agāminī agantur
imperfect agerer agerēris,
agerēre 		agerētur agerēmur agerēminī agerentur
perfect āctus + present active subjunctive of sum
pluperfect āctus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative singular plural
first second third first second third
active present — age — — agite —
future — agitō agitō — agitōte aguntō
passive present — agere — — agiminī —
future — agitor agitor — — aguntor
non-finite forms active passive
present perfect future present perfect future
infinitives agere ēgisse āctūrum esse agī āctum esse āctum īrī
participles agēns — āctūrus — āctus agendus,
agundus
verbal nouns gerund supine
genitive dative accusative ablative accusative ablative
agendī agendō agendum agendō āctum āctū

Synonyms[edit]

Usage notes[edit]

Ago renders a sense of doing or making which is continuative or behavioral. For a sense of a specific instance or occasion of doing or making, see facio. For a sense of doing or making which is yet more continuative, see agito and gero.

According to Döderlein, another difference between ago and facio when they mean "make" is that ago typically has to do with making something that does not continue after the "actor" stops doing the action; whereas with facio, the object continues to exist after the maker has made the thing. In other words, ago is temporal, whereas facio is spacial.

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • Catalan: agir
  • → Danish: agere
  • → Dutch: ageren
  • → English: act
  • → Esperanto: agi
  • French: agir
  • Friulian: azî
  • → German: agieren
  • → Ido: agar
  • Italian: agire
  • Occitan: agir
  • Portuguese: agir
  • Romansch: agir
  • Sicilian: aggiri
  • Spanish: agir, actuar
  • → Swedish: agera
  • Venetian: agir

References[edit]

  • “ago”, in Charlton T[homas] Lewis; Charles [Lancaster] Short (1879) […] A New Latin Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Chicago, Ill.: American Book Company; Oxford: Clarendon Press.
  • “ago”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • ago in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
  • Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
    • to take root: radices agere (De Off. 2. 12. 73)
    • to bud, blossom: gemmas agere
    • to live (all) one's life (honourably, in the country, as a man of learning): vitam, aetatem (omnem aetatem, omne aetatis tempus) agere (honeste, ruri, in litteris), degere, traducere
    • I am in my thirteenth year: tertium decimum annum ago
    • to be at one's last gasp: animam agere
    • so-and-so is in a very satisfactory position; prospers: agitur praeclare, bene cum aliquo
    • to be ruined, undone: praecipitem agi, ire
    • a man's life is at stake, is in very great danger: salus, caput, vita alicuius agitur, periclitatur, in discrimine est or versatur
    • to thank a person (in words): gratias alicui agere pro aliqua re
    • to give thanks to heaven: grates agere (dis immortalibus)
    • (ambiguous) to have all one's trouble for nothing: rem actam or simply actum agere (proverb.)
    • to be occupied with business, busy: negotia agere, gerere
    • to pass one's life in luxury and idleness: per luxum et ignaviam aetatem agere
    • to be inattentive: alias res or aliud agere
    • to devote one's life to science, study: aetatem in litteris ducere, agere
    • the point at issue: id, de quo agitur or id quod cadit in controversiam
    • to recite a poem, line with appropriate action: carmen, versum agere
    • to act a play (said of the actors): fabulam agere
    • to play the part of some one: partes agere alicuius
    • to act the rôle of a slave, pander: agere servum, lenonem
    • to represent a thing dramatically: sic exponere aliquid, quasi agatur res (non quasi narretur)
    • to gesticulate: gestum (always in the sing.) agere
    • the question now is..: nunc id quaeritur, agitur
    • to be now jesting, now in earnest: ioca et seria agere
    • the book treats of friendship: hic liber est de amicitia (not agit) or hoc libro agitur de am.
    • to act reasonably, judiciously: prudenter, considerate, consilio agere (opp. temere, nullo consilio, nulla ratione)
    • to be moderate in all things, commit no excess: omnia modice agere
    • to have no principles: omnia temere agere, nullo iudicio uti
    • to thank, glorify the immortal gods: grates, laudes agere dis immortalibus
    • to keep, celebrate a festival: diem festum agere (of an individual)
    • to take the auspices, observe the flight of birds: augurium agere, auspicari (N. D. 2. 4. 11)
    • the house walls are beginning to crack: domus rimas agit
    • to live a lonely life: vitam solitariam agere
    • how are you: quid agis?
    • what is going on? how are you getting on: quid agitur? quid fit?
    • to lay the foundations: fundamenta iacere, agere
    • to drive to pasture: pastum agere
    • to submit a formal proposition to the people: agere cum populo (Leg. 3. 4. 10)
    • the aristocracy (as a party in politics): boni cives, optimi, optimates, also simply boni (opp. improbi); illi, qui optimatium causam agunt
    • to be a leading spirit of the popular cause: populi causam agere
    • to play the demagogue: populariter agere
    • to hold the census: censum habere, agere (Liv. 3. 22)
    • to perform the censors' duties: censuram agere, gerere
    • to go to law with a person: (ex) iure, lege agere cum aliquo
    • to proceed against some one with the utmost rigour of the law; to strain the law in one's favour: summo iure agere cum aliquo (cf. summum ius, summa iniuria)
    • to convene the assizes (used of a provincial governor): conventus agere (B. G. 1. 54)
    • to conduct a person's case (said of an agent, solicitor): causam alicuius agere (apud iudicem)
    • a person's life is in jeopardy: caput alicuius agitur (vid. sect. V. 8)
    • to crucify: in crucem agere, tollere aliquem
    • to set the army in motion: agmen agere
    • to mount guard in the camp: vigilias agere in castris (Verr. 4. 43)
    • to keep watch on the rampart: custodias agere in vallo
    • to be on duty before the gates: stationes agere pro portis
    • to carry off booty: ferre atque agere praedam
    • to advance pent-houses, mantlets: vineas agere (B. G. 3. 21)
    • to make mines, subterraneous passages: cuniculos agere (B. G. 3. 21)
    • to drive the enemy before one: prae se agere hostem
    • to triumph over some one: triumphum agere de or ex aliquo or c. Gen. (victoriae, pugnae)
    • to treat with some one about peace: agere cum aliquo de pace
    • to row: navem remis agere or propellere
    • (ambiguous) I'm undone! it's all up with me: perii! actum est de me! (Ter. Ad. 3. 2. 26)
    • (ambiguous) to have all one's trouble for nothing: rem actam or simply actum agere (proverb.)
    • (ambiguous) it's all over with me; I'm a lost man: actum est de me

Further reading[edit]

Lolopo[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Loloish *go¹ (Bradley). Cognate with Burmese အစ်ကို (ackui).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

ago 

  1. (Yao'an) elder brother

Maranao[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Akin to Cebuano ug.

Conjunction[edit]

ago

  1. and

Samoan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Cognate with Tongan ango.

Noun[edit]

ago

  1. turmeric

Usage notes[edit]

Once cooked, it is called lega.

Ternate[edit]

Etymology[edit]

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

ago

  1. a kind of root crop

References[edit]

  • Rika Hayami-Allen (2001) A descriptive study of the language of Ternate, the northern Moluccas, Indonesia, University of Pittsburgh

Võro[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Of disputed origin; cognate to Estonian agu.

Noun[edit]

ago (genitive ao, partitive ako)

  1. twilight

Inflection[edit]

Inflection of ago
singular plural
nominative ago aoq
accusative ao aoq
genitive ao akõ
aka
partitive ako akõ
aka
illative akko akkõ
akkõhe
akka
akkahe
inessive aon
aohn 		akõn
akan
akõhn
akahn
elative aost akõst
akast
allative aolõ akõlõ
akalõ
adessive aol akõl
akal
ablative aolt akõlt
akalt
translative aos akõs
akas
terminative aoniq akõniq
akaniq
abessive aoldaq akõldaq
akaldaq
comitative aogaq akõgaq
akagaq

Derived terms[edit]

Yoruba[edit]

Yoruba phrasebook
Open book 01.svg This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonality.

Etymology 1[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Interjection[edit]

àgò!

  1. excuse me, hello, an interjection used to get the attention of the addressee
    àgò onílé yìí o! ― Hello to the owners of this house!

Derived terms[edit]

  • kágò (“to greet 'hello'”)
  • yẹra (“to move out the way for someone”)

Related terms[edit]

  • dákun (“excuse me”)
  • yàgò (“move out of the way, excuse me”)
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