Etymologically
Log in

aliorsum

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 23 October 2026 at 11:12. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [a.liˈoːr.sũː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [a.liˈɔr.sum][1]

Forms

aliōrsum (not comparable)[1]

Etymology

It is a contraction of ⟨aliōvorsum⟩, which also occurs:[2][3] the OLD analyses it as from Latin aliō (“to another place”) + vorsum (“turned”), ⟨vorsum⟩ being the older spelling of ⟨versum⟩.[3] Wiktionary calls it an adverbial accusative of alius (“other”) and versus2 (“towards”), and reconstructs Proto-Italic *aljoworssom.[1] Köbler likewise refers it to aliō and ⟨versus⟩.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first author is Plautus, who has it both of direction, sending maids off in different directions, and in the sense “with another meaning”: ego istuc aliōrsum dīxeram “I had meant that differently”.[5][3][4]

Semantic evolution

Festus, in Paul's abridgement, reports that Cato said aliōrsum and illōrsum as one says intrōrsum.[2][3] Lewis & Short find it only before and after the classical period.[2] Terence uses the figurative sense, of a remark that may have been taken in another way than it was meant.[2][5] Gellius uses it of leading an animal elsewhere, of a child sent away to another nurse, and with pertinēre of what belongs to a different subject.[2][3] Florus has it of vows that turned out otherwise, and Apuleius of wolves roaming elsewhere.[3][2] Lactantius has the uncontracted ⟨aliōversus⟩.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of direction and of a different meaning.[5][3][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of taking a remark another way.[2][5]
  • c. 120 AD – Florus uses it of vows that turned out otherwise.[3]
  • c. 165 AD – Gellius uses it with pertinēre, “belong elsewhere”.[3][5]
  • c. 250–317 AD – Lactantius has the uncontracted ⟨aliōversus⟩.[2]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. In another direction, to another place, elsewhere; also, to another person; with a form of alius, in different directions.[3][2][1]
  2. With pertinēre: to a different matter.[3][5]
  3. In a different way, otherwise; in another sense.[3][2]

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 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e f Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier