pedico

Latin

Alternative forms

• paedīcō

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /peːˈdiː.koː/, [peːˈd̪iːkoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /peˈdi.ko/, [peˈd̪iːko]

Etymology 1

Widely considered to derive from Ancient Greek παιδῐκός (paidikós, “belonging to a (beloved) child”). Some notable sources that advocate for this etymology are Gerardus Vossius (Etymologicum Linguae Latinae, published 1662), and Ernout and Meillet (who account for the long ī by appealing to analogy with pudīcus (“chaste, pure, undefiled”) as an antonym, comparing dēpudīcō "dishonor, violate"). An alternative, less commonly accepted etymology derives the word instead from the same base as pōdex (“anus”) and pēdō (“to fart”).

Verb

pēdīcō (present infinitive pēdīcāre, perfect active pēdīcāvī, supine pēdīcātum); first conjugation

1. (transitive, vulgar) to sodomize, assfuck, buttfuck, bugger (to engage in anal sex, taking the penetrating role)
   • c. 84 BCE – 54 BCE, Catullus, Carmina 16.1:

     Pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo.

     I will sodomize you and facefuck you.

   • 86 CE – 103 CE, Martial, Epigrammata III.98:

     Sit culus tibi quam macer, requiris?
     Pedicare potes, Sabelle, culo.

     How thin an ass do you have, you ask?
     You can buttfuck, Sabellus, with your ass.

   • 86 CE – 103 CE, Martial, Epigrammata IX.69:

     Cum pedicaris, quid, Polycharme, facis?

     When you get buggered, what, Polycharmus, do you do?

   • 86 CE – 103 CE, Martial, Epigrammata XI.88:

     Multis iam, Lupe, posse se diebus
     Pedicare negat Charisianus.
     Causam cum modo quaererent sodales,
     Ventrem dixit habere se solutum.

     Lupus, Charisianus says that for many days now he has been unable to sodomise. When his mates just now asked him the reason, he said that he was suffering from the runs.

   • 86 CE – 103 CE, Martial, Epigrammata XI.104:

     Pedicare negas: dabat hoc Cornelia Graccho,
     Iulia Pompeio, Porcia, Brute, tibi;
     Dulcia Dardanio nondum miscente ministro
     Pocula Iuno fuit pro Ganymede Iovi.

     You withhold anal sex: this was given by Cornelia to Gracchus,
     by Julia to Pompey, by Porcia to you, Brutus;
     The Dardanian cup-bearer not yet mixing sweet drinks,
     Juno stood in for Ganymede to Jupiter.

   • Priapea, Carmina Priapea 3.9:

     Obscure poteram tibi dicere 'da mihi [...]
     quod virgo prima cupido dat nocte marito,
     dum timet alterius vulnus inepta loci.'
     simplicius multo est 'da pedicare' Latine
     dicere [...[

     I could say to you cryptically 'Give me [...]
     what the virgin gives on the first night to the desirous husband
     while she foolishly fears the injury of another part'
     It is far simpler to say in Latin: 'Give me anal sex'

Usage notes

Based on the hypothesized derivation from Greek παῖς (paîs), the spelling paedico with the digraph ae came to be preferred in Renaissance-era critical editions of Latin texts. On the other hand, the spelling with ped- is attested epigraphically in Pompeiian graffiti, and is supported by a couple of passages in the Priapeia that allude to the pronunciation and spelling of the word. More recent critical editions largely opt for the spelling with ped-.

The difference in denotation between the three basic obscene Latin verbs for taking the 'active' role in sexual penetration, futuō (“to penetrate vaginally”), pēdīcō (“to penetrate anally, sodomize”), and irrumō (“to penetrate orally, facefuck”), depended on the orifice being penetrated rather than the gender of the one being penetrated. Thus, despite the hypothesis of an etymological link with παιδεραστία (paiderastía, “pederasty”), and potential connotational associations with a male object, this verb does not exclusively refer to homosexual activity: it could also be used of a man engaging in anal sex with a woman.

Pēdīcō can be used transitively with the penetrated party as its direct object, or intransitively with an implied object. As a rule, it cannot take the penetrated party as its subject when used in the active voice: 'to be anally penetrated' is expressed instead by the passive forms of this verb, or by the distinct verb cēveō. Taylor 1997:356 suggests that Martial 3.98 and 11.88 show the development of a broader sense where the active forms of the verb, used intransitively, could encompass either role in homosexual anal sex. However, there are other possible interpretations of the cited verses.

Conjugation

Conjugation of pēdīcō (first conjugation)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	pēdīcō	pēdīcās	pēdīcat	pēdīcāmus	pēdīcātis	pēdīcant
	imperfect	pēdīcābam	pēdīcābās	pēdīcābat	pēdīcābāmus	pēdīcābātis	pēdīcābant
	future	pēdīcābō	pēdīcābis	pēdīcābit	pēdīcābimus	pēdīcābitis	pēdīcābunt
	perfect	pēdīcāvī	pēdīcāvistī	pēdīcāvit	pēdīcāvimus	pēdīcāvistis	pēdīcāvērunt, pēdīcāvēre
	pluperfect	pēdīcāveram	pēdīcāverās	pēdīcāverat	pēdīcāverāmus	pēdīcāverātis	pēdīcāverant
	future perfect	pēdīcāverō	pēdīcāveris	pēdīcāverit	pēdīcāverimus	pēdīcāveritis	pēdīcāverint
passive	present	pēdīcor	pēdīcāris, pēdīcāre	pēdīcātur	pēdīcāmur	pēdīcāminī	pēdīcantur
	imperfect	pēdīcābar	pēdīcābāris, pēdīcābāre	pēdīcābātur	pēdīcābāmur	pēdīcābāminī	pēdīcābantur
	future	pēdīcābor	pēdīcāberis, pēdīcābere	pēdīcābitur	pēdīcābimur	pēdīcābiminī	pēdīcābuntur
	perfect	pēdīcātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	pēdīcātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	pēdīcātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	pēdīcem	pēdīcēs	pēdīcet	pēdīcēmus	pēdīcētis	pēdīcent
	imperfect	pēdīcārem	pēdīcārēs	pēdīcāret	pēdīcārēmus	pēdīcārētis	pēdīcārent
	perfect	pēdīcāverim	pēdīcāverīs	pēdīcāverit	pēdīcāverīmus	pēdīcāverītis	pēdīcāverint
	pluperfect	pēdīcāvissem	pēdīcāvissēs	pēdīcāvisset	pēdīcāvissēmus	pēdīcāvissētis	pēdīcāvissent
passive	present	pēdīcer	pēdīcēris, pēdīcēre	pēdīcētur	pēdīcēmur	pēdīcēminī	pēdīcentur
	imperfect	pēdīcārer	pēdīcārēris, pēdīcārēre	pēdīcārētur	pēdīcārēmur	pēdīcārēminī	pēdīcārentur
	perfect	pēdīcātus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	pēdīcātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	pēdīcā	—	—	pēdīcāte	—
	future	—	pēdīcātō	pēdīcātō	—	pēdīcātōte	pēdīcantō
passive	present	—	pēdīcāre	—	—	pēdīcāminī	—
	future	—	pēdīcātor	pēdīcātor	—	—	pēdīcantor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		pēdīcāre	pēdīcāvisse	pēdīcātūrum esse	pēdīcārī	pēdīcātum esse	pēdīcātum īrī
participles		pēdīcāns	—	pēdīcātūrus	—	pēdīcātus	pēdīcandus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		pēdīcandī	pēdīcandō	pēdīcandum	pēdīcandō	pēdīcātum	pēdīcātū

Derived terms

• pēdīcātiō
• pēdīcātor

Etymology 2

From pēdīcō (“sodomize”) +‎ -ō.

Noun

pēdīcō m (genitive pēdīcōnis); third declension

1. sodomiser, buggerer, buttfucker, assfucker
   • 86 CE – 103 CE, Martial, Epigrammata 9.33:

     Nīl miserābilius, Māthō, pēdīcōne Sabellō
     vīdistī, quō nīl laetius ante fuit.
     Fūrta, fugae, mortēs servōrum, incendia, luctūs
     afflīgunt hominem; iam miser et futuit.

     Nothing more miserable, Matho, than the sodomite Sabellus
     have you seen, than whom nothing was happier before.
     Robberies, fled slaves, deaths of servants, fires, bereavements
     have taken their toll on the man; now, poor thing, he even fornicates.

Declension

Third-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	pēdīcō	pēdīcōnēs
Genitive	pēdīcōnis	pēdīcōnum
Dative	pēdīcōnī	pēdīcōnibus
Accusative	pēdīcōnem	pēdīcōnēs
Ablative	pēdīcōne	pēdīcōnibus
Vocative	pēdīcō	pēdīcōnēs

Further reading

• “pedico”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• paedico in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.