§263. Verbs from Other Verbs

The following four classes of verbs regularly derived from other verbs have special meanings connected with their terminations.

• Inceptives or Inchoatives add -scō ¹ to the present stem of verbs. They denote the beginning of an action and are of the Third Conjugation. Of some there is no simple verb in existence:—

  • calē-scō, grow warm, from caleō, be warm.
  • labā-scō, begin to totter, from labō, totter.
  • scī-scō, determine, from sciō, know.
  • con-cupī-scō, conceive a desire for, from cupiō, desire.
  • alē-scō, grow, from alō, feed.
  • So īrā-scor, get angry; cf. īrā-tus.
  • iuvenē-scō, grow young; cf. iuvenis, young man.
  • mītē-scō, grow mild; cf. mītis, mild.
  • vesperā-scit, it is getting late; cf. vesper, evening.

• Intensives or Iteratives are formed from the Supine stem and end in-tō or -itō (rarely -sō). They denote a forcible or repeatedaction, but this special sense often disappears. Those derived from verbs of the First Conjugation end in -itō (not -ātō).

  • iac-tō, hurl, from iaciō, throw.
  • dormī-tō, be sleepy, from dormiō, sleep.
  • vol-itō, flit, from volō, fly.
  • vēndi-tō, try to sell, from vēndō, sell.
  • quas-sō, shatter, from quatiō, shake.

  They are of the first conjugation, and are properly denominative.

  a.

  Compound suffixes -titō, -sitō, are formed with a few verbs. These are probably derived from other Iteratives; thus, cantitō may come from cantō, iterative of canō, sing.

  b.

  Another form of Intensives—sometimes called Meditatives, or verbs of practice—ends in -essō (rarely -issō). These denote a certain energy or eagerness of action rather than its repetition:—

  • cap-essō, lay hold on, from capiō, take.
  • fac-essō, do (with energy), from faciō, do.
  • pet-esso, pet-issō, seek (eagerly), from petō, seek.

  These are of the third conjugation, usually having the perfect and supine of the fourth:—

  • arcessō, arcessĕre, arcessīvī, arcessītum, summon.
  • lacessō, lacessĕre, lacessīvī, lacessītum, provoke.

• Diminutives end in -illō, and denote a feeble or pettyaction:—

  • cav-illor, jest, cf. cavilla, raillery.
  • cant-illō, chirp or warble, from cantō, sing.

• Desideratives end in -turiō (-suriō), and express longing or wishing.They are of the fourth conjugation, and only two are in common use:—

  • par-turiō, be in labor, from pariō, bring forth.
  • ē-suriō (for † ed-turiō), be hungry, from edō, eat.

  Others are used by the dramatists.