tergeo

Latin

Alternative forms

tergō

Etymology

Uncertain. Within Italic, the term may connect to Latin mantēle and Umbrian 𐌌𐌀𐌍𐌕𐌓𐌀𐌊𐌋𐌖 (mantraklu). It perhaps further derives from Proto-Indo-European *(s)terǵʰ- (“crush”), whence possibly Sanskrit तृह् (tṛh, “to crush, bruise”).^[1] However, the LIV alternatively takes tergō as the original form, though De Vaan notes that the variant tergeō was much more common even in compounds. Regardless, the LIV tentatively derives tergō from a simple thematic present of a Proto-Indo-European root of the shape *terg- or *terǵ-.^[2]

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈtɛr.ɡe.oː]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈtɛr.d͡ʒe.o]

Verb

tergeō (present infinitive tergēre, perfect active tersī, supine tersum); second conjugation

(transitive) to rub, wipe, wipe off, clean, cleanse
Synonyms: abstergeō, pūrgō, luō, putō, effingō

Antonyms: inquinō, polluō, maculō, scelerō, contingō
(transitive) to polish, burnish
(transitive) to tickle, whet
(figuratively, transitive) to molest, harass
(figuratively, transitive) to expiate the murder

Conjugation

In surviving Classical sources, the passive voice is limited to the third-person forms.

Conjugation of tergeō (second conjugation)

indicative		singular				plural
indicative		first	second		third	first	second		third
active	present	tergeō	tergēs		terget	tergēmus	tergētis		tergent
	imperfect	tergēbam	tergēbās		tergēbat	tergēbāmus	tergēbātis		tergēbant
	future	tergēbō	tergēbis		tergēbit	tergēbimus	tergēbitis		tergēbunt
	perfect	tersī	tersistī		tersit	tersimus	tersistis		tersērunt, tersēre
	pluperfect	terseram	terserās		terserat	terserāmus	terserātis		terserant
	future perfect	terserō	terseris		terserit	terserimus	terseritis		terserint
passive	present	tergeor	tergēris, tergēre		tergētur	tergēmur	tergēminī		tergentur
	imperfect	tergēbar	tergēbāris, tergēbāre		tergēbātur	tergēbāmur	tergēbāminī		tergēbantur
	future	tergēbor	tergēberis, tergēbere		tergēbitur	tergēbimur	tergēbiminī		tergēbuntur
	perfect	tersus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	tersus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	tersus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular				plural
subjunctive		first	second		third	first	second		third
active	present	tergeam	tergeās		tergeat	tergeāmus	tergeātis		tergeant
	imperfect	tergērem	tergērēs		tergēret	tergērēmus	tergērētis		tergērent
	perfect	terserim	terserīs		terserit	terserīmus	terserītis		terserint
	pluperfect	tersissem	tersissēs		tersisset	tersissēmus	tersissētis		tersissent
passive	present	tergear	tergeāris, tergeāre		tergeātur	tergeāmur	tergeāminī		tergeantur
	imperfect	tergērer	tergērēris, tergērēre		tergērētur	tergērēmur	tergērēminī		tergērentur
	perfect	tersus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	tersus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular				plural
imperative		first	second		third	first	second		third
active	present	—	tergē		—	—	tergēte		—
active	future	—	tergētō		tergētō	—	tergētōte		tergentō
passive	present	—	tergēre		—	—	tergēminī		—
passive	future	—	tergētor		tergētor	—	—		tergentor
non-finite forms		infinitive				participle
non-finite forms		active		passive		active		passive
present		tergēre		tergērī		tergēns		—
future		tersūrum esse		tersum īrī		tersūrus		tergendus
perfect		tersisse		tersum esse		—		tersus
future perfect		—		tersum fore		—		—
perfect potential		tersūrum fuisse		—		—		—
verbal nouns		gerund					supine
		genitive	dative		accusative	ablative	accusative		ablative
		tergendī	tergendō		tergendum	tergendō	tersum		tersū

Derived terms

References

^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “tergeō”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 614
^ Rix, Helmut, editor (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben [Lexicon of Indo-European Verbs] (in German), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, →ISBN, page 632

“tergeo”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
tergeo in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2026), Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication
“tergeo”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
“tergeo”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 1071

[1] De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “tergeō”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 614

[2] Rix, Helmut, editor (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben [Lexicon of Indo-European Verbs] (in German), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, →ISBN, page 632

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