mittō
Likely from mītō via the so-called littera-rule, from Proto-Italic *meitō, from Proto-Indo-European *meyth₂- (“exchange, remove”), an extension of the root *mey- (“change”). From the original meaning “to exchange” a semantic shift occurred to “to give, bestow” and then “to let go, send”. Cognate to South Picene meitims, meitimúm (“monument”, nom. and acc. sg. respectively). External cognates include Sanskrit मेथेते (methete, “to become hostile, quarrel”), and Gothic 𐌹𐌽𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (inmaidjan, “to change”).[1][2]
Based on the attested hapax legomenon cōsmittō for committō, some[3] reconstruct the root with an initial s-, but De Vaan regards the hapax as not trustworthy enough.
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈmit.toː/, [ˈmɪt̪ːoː]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈmit.to/, [ˈmit̪ːo]
Verb
mittō (present infinitive mittere, perfect active mīsī, supine missum); third conjugation
- to send, dispatch, cause to go, let go, release, discharge
- to put out, extend, reach out (one's hand)
- to announce, tell, report, send word, advise
- (chiefly poetic) to yield, furnish, produce, export
- to put an end to
- to let or bring out, put or send forth, send out, emit; let blood, bleed; utter a sound, speak, say [ synonyms ▲]
- to throw, hurl, fling, cast, launch, send; throw down, sprinkle [ synonyms ▲][ quotations ▼]
- to attend, guide, escort
- to dedicate (a book or poem to someone to compliment them)
- to dismiss, disregard [ quotations ▼]
- (chiefly poetic) to pass over, forbear, cease