English
abactor
Abactor comes from Late Latin abactor ‘cattle rustler’, and goes back to abigō ‘drive away’.
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEabigō‘drive away’
- Late Latin, derivedc. 200–600 CEabactor‘cattle rustler’
- Englishearliest quotation 1659same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEabigō‘drive away’
- Late Latin, derivedc. 200–600 CEabactor‘cattle rustler’
- Englishearliest quotation 1659same form
Earliest quotation: 1659, H. Hammond: “[…] not only from straying, but, as in time…”
A compound of ab ‘from, away from’ + agō ‘drive’
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep
Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó ‘off, away’
Proto-Italic *ap ‘from, off, away’
Late Latin ab ‘from, away from’
Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- ‘to drive’
Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti ‘to be driving’
Proto-Italic *agō ‘to drive’
Late Latin agō ‘drive’
Every English word from Late Latin abigō
Today it means
noun One who steals and drives away cattle or beasts by herds or droves; a cattle rustler.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Late Latin abigō / abactor