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affero

Etymology and origin of the Latin word affero

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Ennius
Ultimate origin
Latin (ferō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈaf.fɛ.roː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaf.fe.ro][1]

Forms

afferō (present infinitive afferre, perfect active attulī, supine allātum); third conjugation, suppletive[1] The perfect is attulī and the participle allātum, and Lewis and Short prefer the spellings adf- and adl-.[2]

Etymology

It is from ad- (“to”) and ferō “to carry, bring”, with the suppletive perfect ⟨attulī⟩ and participle ⟨allātum⟩.[3][1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Ennius, of bringing something along.[3] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to bring with one, deliver, fetch, as in Ennius and Plautus, to bring qualities into a situation, to serve food or administer medicine, and to contribute, confer, with auxilium afferre “to bring help”.[3] It meant to offer advice or terms, to offer for sale, to bring a person, to bring a case into court, as in Cicero, and to use force, manūs afferre.[3] It meant to introduce something foreign or new, to apply a remedy, to adduce arguments, to report news, and to bring about, cause, as in Plautus and Terence.[3] Of the soil it meant to produce.[3] Plautus has the passive infinitive adferrier.[3]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to bring to, bring forth, allege.[5]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of bringing along.[3][4]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of bringing news and help.[3][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of offering advice and bringing cases.[3][4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To bring, fetch, deliver.[3]
  2. To serve (food); to administer (medicine).[3]
  3. To contribute, confer; to bring (help).[3]
  4. To offer, propose.[3]
  5. To bring (a case to court); to use (force).[3]
  6. To introduce; to apply.[3]
  7. To adduce, allege; to report.[3]
  8. To bring about, cause.[3]

Word family

  • arferia
  • affertor
  • allātor
  • allātus
  • auferō
  • circumferō
  • cōnferō
  • dēferō
  • differō
  • efferō
  • ferō
  • īnferō
  • intrōferō
  • offerō

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Affero.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/affero. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·