English
equivocate
Equivocate comes from Medieval Latin aequivocātus, from aequivocō ‘to be called by the same name’, and ultimately from Old Latin aiquos.
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEaiquos
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaequus‘equal’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEaequivocus‘ambiguous, equivocal’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500aequivocō‘to be called by the same name’
- Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500aequivocātusperfect passive participle of aequivocō
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500equivocaten
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1606equivocate
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEaiquos
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaequus‘equal’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEaequivocus‘ambiguous, equivocal’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500aequivocō‘to be called by the same name’
- Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500aequivocātusperfect passive participle of aequivocō
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500equivocaten
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1606equivocate
Earliest quotation: c. 1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Macbeth: “Knock. Knock, knock. Who's there in th'other Deuils Name?…”
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *aikʷos
through Old Latin aiquos
equality, inequitable, 12 more
through Latin aequus ‘equal’
equal, equity, equation, egalitarian, equitable, equate, 14 more
Today it means
verb To speak using double meaning; to speak ambiguously, unclearly or doubtfully, with intent to deceive; to vacillate in one's answers, responding with equivoques.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old Latin aiquos / equivocate