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commotus

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word commotus

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
190–159 BC, Terence
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*m(i̯)euh₁-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin commoveo
Latin commotus

Forms

commōtus (feminine commōta, neuter commōtum); first/second-declension adjective; comparative commōtior, superlative commōtissimus[1]

Etymology

It is the perfect passive participle from Latin commoveō (“to stir up, agitate”), used as an adjective.[1][2][3] commoveō is a compound of con- and moveō (“to move”),[4] which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *mow(a)- and Proto-Indo-European *m(i̯)euh₁- (“to move”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Terence has it of agitation: “why does he come so agitated?”, quid illic commotus venit?[1]

Semantic evolution

It means excited or nervous;[1] of style, Cicero calls that of Antonius forceful, vehement and excited in delivery.[1] Commōta mēns is a frenzied or deranged mind, as in Cicero's lover, madman or drunkard.[1] It also means angry, annoyed or irritated, as in Seneca's man made angrier by some offence, and liable to anger: Tacitus calls Agrippina somewhat hot-tempered, paulo commotior.[1] Of conditions it is tempestuous or unsettled, as when Seneca warns against falling into a thing unsettled and uncontrolled.[1]

Timeline

  • 190–159 BC – Terence, of agitation.[1][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero, of an excited style and a deranged mind.[1][3]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca, of anger and of unsettled conditions.[1][3]
  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus, of a quick temper.[1][3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Excited, nervous;[1] of style, vehement;[1] commōta mēns, a deranged mind.[1]
  2. Angry, annoyed, irritated;[1] quick-tempered.[1]
  3. Of conditions: tempestuous, unsettled.[1]

Usage notes

A rare noun commōtus, -ūs, “movement, agitation”, is found in Varro and in Caelius Aurelianus.[1][2][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  2. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  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. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Cite this entry

“Commotus.” Etymologically, 20 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/commotus. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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