circumsedeo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kɪr.kũːˈsɛ.de.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [t͡ʃir.kumˈsɛː.de.o]^[1]

Forms

circumsedeō (present infinitive circumsedēre, perfect active circumsēdī, supine circumsessum); second conjugation^[1] Also circumsideō, in Mela and Tacitus.^[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin circum- (“around”) + sedeō (“to sit”).^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨sedeō⟩ to Proto-Italic *sed-ē- (“to be seated”), from Proto-Indo-European *sed-eh₁- (“to be seated”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Cicero, of blockading and of sitting round.^[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to surround, blockade, besiege, as in Cicero; to sit round a person, as in Seneca's flōrentēs amīcōrum turba circumsedet “a crowd of friends sits round the prosperous”; and to live or be settled round.^[2][5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to sit around.^[6]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a blockade.^[2][4]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of friends sitting round.^[5][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To surround, blockade, invest.^[2]
2. To sit round.^[2]
3. To live or be settled round.^[2]

Word family

• circumsessiō
• circumsessus

Related words

• assideō
• dēsideō
• dissideō
• īnsideō
• obsideō
• persedeō
• possideō
• praesideō
• resideō
• sedeō

References

1. ^ a b c d 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
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson