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appareo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word appareo

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Naevius
Ultimate origin
Latin (pāreō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin pareo
Latin appareo

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [apˈpaː.re.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [apˈpaː.re.o][1]

Forms

appāreō (present infinitive appārēre, perfect active appāruī, supine appāritum); second conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin ad- (“to, towards”) + pāreō (“to appear; to obey”).[2][1] The origin of pāreō is uncertain: de Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic *pās-ē- and suggests a stative verb “to be visible”, perhaps from a root *peh₂-s- “to watch, see”, comparing Albanian pashë (“I saw”).[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Naevius has it of people who dare to appear together with the speaker.[2] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.[5] Plautus uses it of being visible.[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant to be visible, to appear or be found somewhere, to come forth or take shape, and to come into sight.[2] It also meant to be perceptible to the other senses, as a sound, and to become evident to the mind; impersonally appāret meant “it is clear”.[2][1] From appearing before a magistrate it meant to attend or serve as his officer, a lictor or scribe, and so to obey.[2][1]

It survives in Italian apparire and Romanian apărea.[1] Through Old French aparoir it gave English appear in the late 13th century.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it of appearing together.[2][5]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of being visible.[2][5]
  • late 13th century – English appear is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To be visible, be seen.[2]
  2. To appear, be found; to come into sight.[2]
  3. To be forthcoming, take shape.[2]
  4. To be perceptible (to the senses).[2]
  5. To be evident, appāret, it is clear.[2][1]
  6. To attend, serve (a magistrate).[2][1]
  7. To heed, obey.[2]

Word family

  • appārentia
  • appārēscō
  • appāritiō
  • appāritor
  • apparitura
  • superappareo
  • appārēns
  • compāreō
  • pāreō
  • trānspāreō
  • English appear
  • English apparent
  • English apparition

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Appareo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/appareo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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