adverto

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [adˈwɛr.toː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [adˈvɛr.to]^[1]

Forms

advertō (present infinitive advertere, perfect active advertī, supine adversum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from ad- (“towards”) and vertō “to turn”.^[2][1][3] An archaic spelling is ⟨advortō⟩.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Terence, of paying attention, and Terence also has a woman who had turned this way into our square.^[2][5] Köbler dates Terence 190–159 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to turn or direct towards, to steer a ship, as in Virgil, and intransitively of ships to arrive.^[2] It meant to cause to face towards, and with aurēs or oculōs to turn the ears or eyes, pay attention, as in Propertius, and with mentem to direct the mind, as in Virgil, animum advertere became animadvertō.^[2] It meant to pay heed, notice, as in Terence, to ascertain, to attract someone's attention, as in Tacitus, and in Tacitus to inflict a penalty.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to advert to, notice, perceive.^[7] It survives in French avertir “to warn”, and Italian avvertire and Spanish advertir are borrowings.^[1] Through Old French advertir it is the source of English advertise in the early 15th century, first meaning “to take notice of”.^[3]

Timeline

• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of turning and paying heed.^[2][5][6]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of steering and directing the mind.^[2][6]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of attracting attention and of punishing.^[2][6]
• early 15th century – English advertise is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To turn towards, direct; to steer.^[2]
2. (intransitive, of ships) To arrive.^[2]
3. To turn (the ears, eyes, mind) to.^[2]
4. To pay heed, notice.^[2]
5. To attract (attention).^[2]
6. To punish.^[2]

Word family

• animadvertō

Related words

• vertō
• adversus
• English advertise

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson