timeo

See also: Timeo

Latin

Etymology

Of uncertain origin.^[1] One theory which links the term to Proto-Indo-European *temH- (“dark”) (for which compare tenebrae, tēmulentus) is semantically reasonable, but phonetically difficult.^[2]

Compare Sanskrit तिम्यति (timyati, “to be quiet; to become quiet”), with matching conjugation and verb-of-fearing semantics (i.e. "is/becomes quiet" in place of usual "makes quiet"). (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

(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.
(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
indicative		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
subjunctive		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
passive	imperfect	timērer	timērēris, timērēre		timērētur	timērēmur	timērēminī		timērentur
imperative		singular				plural
imperative		first	second		third	first	second		third
active	present	—	timē		—	—	timēte		—
active	future	—	timētō		timētō	—	timētōte		timentō
passive	present	—	timēre		—	—	timēminī		—
passive	future	—	timētor		timētor	—	—		timentor
non-finite forms		infinitive				participle
non-finite forms		active		passive		active		passive
present		timēre		timērī		timēns		—
future		—		—		—		timendus
perfect		timuisse		—		—		—
verbal nouns		gerund					supine
		genitive	dative		accusative	ablative	accusative		ablative
		timendī	timendō		timendum	timendō	—		—

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

Asturian: temer
Catalan: témer, tembre
Corsican: teme
Old Francoprovençal: temer
- Franco-Provençal: temeir
Old French: temoir
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

References

^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “timeō”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 620
^ Walde, Alois, Hofmann, Johann Baptist (1954) “timeō”, in Lateinisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), 3rd edition, volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, page 682