Etymologically
Log in

circumeo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word circumeo

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*h₁ey-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kɪrˈkʊ.me.oː], [kɪrˈkʊm.e.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [t͡ʃirˈkuː.me.o], [t͡ʃirˈkum.e.o][1]

Forms

circumeō (present infinitive circumīre, perfect active circumiī or circumīvī, supine circumitum); irregular conjugation[1] Also circueō; supine circumitum or circuitum, and Plautus has the passive infinitive circumīrier.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is from circum “around” and eō “to go”.[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨eō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- (“to go”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of going the rounds.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to go round, make the circuit of, as in Caesar; to coil round, as in Celsus; to skirt, make a detour, as in Caesar; to surround, crowd round a person, as in Cicero; to encircle with something, as in Ovid; to visit one after another, go the round of, as in Plautus; and to enumerate one after another, as in Varro.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][6]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of enumerating.[2][6]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of going round.[2][6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To go round, make the circuit of.[2]
  2. To skirt; to make a detour.[2]
  3. To surround, encircle.[2]
  4. To go the round of, visit one after another.[2]
  5. To enumerate.[2]

Word family

  • circumitiō
  • circumitor
  • circumitus

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Circumeo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/circumeo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·