circumsto

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kɪrˈkũː.stoː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [t͡ʃirˈkum.sto]^[1]

Forms

circumstō (present infinitive circumstāre, perfect active circumstetī); first conjugation, no supine stem^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin circum- + stō (“to stand”).^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨stō⟩ to Proto-Italic ⟨*sta-ē-je/o-⟩ “to stand”, from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand”), with Umbrian ⟨stahu⟩ “I stand”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Ennius, circumstant cum ārdentibus taedīs “they stand around with blazing torches”, quoted by Cicero.^[2][4] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant intransitively to stand around, as in Ennius, and transitively to stand or gather round, surround, beset, as in Cicero, and Lewis & Short note that its perfect coincides with that of circumsistō.^[2][6][4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to be present, stand around.^[7]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of surrounding.^[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To stand around.^[2][7]
2. To surround, beset.^[2][6]

Word family

• circumstantia
• circumstatiō

Related words

• stō
• circumsistō
• English circumstance

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson