circum-

Forms

circum- ^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin circum (“around”), the adverb and preposition used as a prefix.^[2][1] De Vaan explains the adverb as the old accusative singular of circus (“circle”), which he takes to be probably a borrowing from Ancient Greek κρίκος (kríkos, “ring”), a word of uncertain origin.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus (c. 250–184 BC) already has compounds such as circumdō “put round” and circumspiciō “look round”.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

The prefix means round or about, and the OLD notes that it cannot always be told apart from the adverb and the preposition, since the compounds are often written as two words.^[2] It is spelled circun- as well,^[2] and before a vowel the ⟨m⟩ can be lost, as in circueō beside circumeō.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses circumdō and circumspiciō.^[2][4]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses circumeō and circumveniō.^[2][4]

Meanings

Prefix

1. Round, around, about, in compounds of verbs and their derivatives: circumdō, circumeō, circumspiciō.^[2][1]

Word family

• circumdō
• circumeō
• circumspiciō
• circumveniō

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de