ecce

ecce

See also: ECCE

English

Etymology

    Borrowed from Latin ecce.

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): (traditional anglicized) /ˈɛksi/, (Latinist) /ˈɛkeɪ/, (ecclesiastical) /ˈɛtʃeɪ/

    Interjection

    ecce

    1. an interjection used to draw attention to something or someone; behold!
      • 1819 November 24, “Baron Merian to Samuel Butler”, in Complete Works of Samuel Butler, Delphi Classics, published 2015:
        DEAR SIR, — Ecce my notes on the sermon.
      • 2013, T. Bonfiglio, Why is English Literature?:, →ISBN, page 58:
        Ecce the rise of literature in the modern vernaculars, even the mother tongue

    Synonyms

    See also

    Anagrams

    Latin

    Etymology

    From ec- +‎ -ce. Compare Oscan ekkum.

    Pronunciation

    Interjection

    ecce

    1. see!, look!, behold!, points out something with emphasis
      Quem quaerō, optimē ecce obviam mihi est.
      Behold! There comes he I was wishing for.
      Ecce hominem miserum.
      Behold, a sad man.
      Ecce autem videō rūre redeuntem senem.
      But look, I see the old man returning to the country.
    2. (mostly elliptical) here!, or here am/are/is!; used to denote that something is present (compare French voici or Italian ecco)
      Quid cessāmus lūdōs facere? Circus noster ecce adest!
      Why should we stop playing games? We have our theatre here!
      Quid mē quaeris? Ecce mē.
      Are you searching for me? Here I am.
      Ecce.
      Here I am.
      Ecce odium meum. Quid mē vīs?
      See here my aversion. What is it you want with me?
      Ecce tuae litterae dē Varrōne.
      Lo and behold, your letters about Varro!
      • (Can we date this quote?), Stasimus in the play Trinummus by Titus Maccius Plautus
        Ecce hominem tē, Stasime, nihilī.
        See now, Stasimus, what a worthless fellow you are.

    Usage notes

    • This word is sometimes used in the middle of a clause.
      Audiat haec tantum—vel qui venit ecce Palaemon.
    • The interjection is particularly used after objects mentioned or enumerations, to introduce a new one with emphasis:
      Consecuti sunt hos Critias, Theramenes, Lysias, etc. ... ecce tibi exortus est Isocrates.
      They followed Critias, Theramenes, Lysias, etc. lo there arises Isocrates to thee.

    Synonyms

    Derived terms

    Descendants

    • >? Neapolitan: ce
    • >? Old French: es, ez, eis, as, ais
    • ? Old Galician-Portuguese: aque
      • Galician: aque (medieval)

    See also

    References

    Further reading

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

    Tocharian B

    Etymology

    From Proto-Tocharian *ecye (whence also Tocharian A aci), of further unknown origin.

    Adverb

    ecce

    1. hither, to here

    Further reading

    • Adams, Douglas Q. (2013), “ecce”, in A Dictionary of Tocharian B: Revised and Greatly Enlarged (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 10), Amsterdam, New York: Rodopi, →ISBN, page 83