timeo

See also: Timeo

Latin

Etymology

Of uncertain origin. One theory which links the term to Proto-Indo-European *temH- (“dark”) (for which compare tenebrae, tēmulentus) is semantically reasonable, but phonetically difficult. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈti.me.oː/, [ˈt̪ɪmeoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈti.me.o/, [ˈt̪iːmeo]

Verb

timeō (present infinitive timēre, perfect active timuī); second conjugation, no supine stem

1. (transitive) to fear, be afraid of, apprehend, be apprehensive of

   Synonyms: metuō, trepidō

   • c. 50 BCE, Publilius Syrus, Sententiae :

     Stultum est timere, quod vitare non potest.

     Fearing what cannot be avoided is foolish.

   • A phrase generally attributed to Thomas Aquinas.

     Hominem unius libri timeo.

     I fear the man of one book.

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 2.48:

     Equo ne credite, Teucri! Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes.

     Do not trust the horse, Trojans! Whatever it is, I fear the Danaans and the gifts they are bearing.

2. (intransitive) to be afraid, to fear, to be apprehensive

   Synonyms: extimēscō, vereor

Usage notes

• The verb timeō is a Latin verb of fearing.

Conjugation

Conjugation of timeō (second conjugation, no supine stem)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	timeō	timēs	timet	timēmus	timētis	timent
	imperfect	timēbam	timēbās	timēbat	timēbāmus	timēbātis	timēbant
	future	timēbō	timēbis	timēbit	timēbimus	timēbitis	timēbunt
	perfect	timuī	timuistī	timuit	timuimus	timuistis	timuērunt, timuēre
	pluperfect	timueram	timuerās	timuerat	timuerāmus	timuerātis	timuerant
	future perfect	timuerō	timueris	timuerit	timuerimus	timueritis	timuerint
passive	present	timeor	timēris, timēre	timētur	timēmur	timēminī	timentur
	imperfect	timēbar	timēbāris, timēbāre	timēbātur	timēbāmur	timēbāminī	timēbantur
	future	timēbor	timēberis, timēbere	timēbitur	timēbimur	timēbiminī	timēbuntur
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	timeam	timeās	timeat	timeāmus	timeātis	timeant
	imperfect	timērem	timērēs	timēret	timērēmus	timērētis	timērent
	perfect	timuerim	timuerīs	timuerit	timuerīmus	timuerītis	timuerint
	pluperfect	timuissem	timuissēs	timuisset	timuissēmus	timuissētis	timuissent
passive	present	timear	timeāris, timeāre	timeātur	timeāmur	timeāminī	timeantur
	imperfect	timērer	timērēris, timērēre	timērētur	timērēmur	timērēminī	timērentur
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	timē	—	—	timēte	—
	future	—	timētō	timētō	—	timētōte	timentō
passive	present	—	timēre	—	—	timēminī	—
	future	—	timētor	timētor	—	—	timentor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		timēre	timuisse	—	timērī	—	—
participles		timēns	—	—	—	—	timendus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		timendī	timendō	timendum	timendō	—	—

Derived terms

Derived terms

• pertimeō
• praetimeō
• subtimeō
• timefactus
• timendus
• timēns
• timidus
• timor

Related terms

• timidē
• timiditās
• timidulē
• timōrātus

Descendants

• Asturian: temer
• Catalan: témer, tembre
• Corsican: teme
• Old Francoprovençal: temer
  • Franco-Provençal: temeir
• Old French: temoir
• French: timide (borrowing)
• Friulian: temê
• Galician: temer
• Esperanto: timi
• Italian: temere
• Occitan: témer
• Portuguese: temer
• Romanian: teme, temere
• Romansch: temair, temer
• Sardinian: timere, timi
• Spanish: temer
• Venetan: temer

Further reading

• “timeo”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “timeo”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• timeo in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.