capesso

Forms

capessō (present infinitive capessere, perfect active capessīvī, supine capessītum); third conjugation^[1] Pacuvius has the older form capissam.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is formed from capiō (“to take”) with the suffix -essō.^[2][1] De Vaan explains it from ⟨*kap-i-ss-⟩, as the form ⟨capissam⟩ shows; he traces ⟨capiō⟩ to Proto-Italic *kapi- (“to seize”) and to Proto-Indo-European *kh₂p-i- or a non-Indo-European ⟨*kap-⟩, and compares Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐍆𐌾𐌰𐌽 (hafjan, “to lift”) and Ancient Greek κάπτω (káptō, “to gulp down”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Livius Andronicus has capesset flammam Volcānī, of something about to catch fire.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

It is to grasp or take hold of, arma capessere to take up arms (Virgil), and to seize for oneself, as Plautus' “what hope or help shall I seize?”.^[2][3] It is also to grasp with the mind (Manilius), to betake oneself, to make for a place, as Cicero's “let us make for Malta”, and to occupy a position.^[2] Most often it is to enter on a course or journey, to adopt a practice, and to take charge of a task or office: rem pūblicam capessere is to enter public life, and Plautus has it of carrying out orders.^[2][1]

Church Latin glosses it “seize, lay hold of, undertake, execute”.^[6]

Timeline

• 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus of catching fire.^[2][5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of seizing hope and going home.^[2][5]
• 220–130 BC – Pacuvius has the form capissam.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of entering public life.^[2][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil of taking up arms.^[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To take hold of, seize, snatch, arma capessere, to take up arms.^[2][1][6]
2. To grasp (with the mind).^[2]
3. To betake oneself; to make for (a place).^[2][1]
4. To enter on, undertake, rem pūblicam capessere, to enter public life.^[2][1][6]
5. To carry out (orders).^[2][6]

Related words

• capiō
• facessō
• lacessō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson