competo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈkɔm.pɛ.toː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkɔm.pe.to]^[1]

Forms

competō (present infinitive competere, perfect active competīvī or competiī, supine competītum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from con- “together” and petō “to seek, make for”.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Varro, of roads meeting, ubi viae competunt.^[2][4] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

Lewis and Short say it became common from the Augustan period, was very rare before, and is not in Cicero.^[6] It meant to come together, meet, as Varro's crossroads, of events to coincide, occur, as in Columella, and of debts to fall due.^[2] It meant to accord with, be suitable, to suffice, and of persons in Sallust to be competent.^[2] In Pliny it meant to apply, be relevant, in Gaius to belong to, and in Quintilian to be admissible in law and to compete for an office.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to be capable of, be fit for, agree with, meet.^[7] Late Latin competere “to strive together” gave English compete in the 1610s, through French or directly.^[8]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of roads meeting.^[2][5]
• 86–34 BC – Sallust uses it of competence.^[2][5]
• 1st century AD – Columella uses it of coinciding.^[2][5]
• 1610s – English compete is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To meet; to coincide; to fall due.^[2]
2. To be suitable; to suffice; to be competent.^[2]
3. To apply; to belong to.^[2]
4. (law) To be admissible.^[2]
5. To be a candidate with others, compete.^[2]

Word family

• competentia
• competītiō
• competītor
• competītrīx
• incompetēns
• competēns
• competenter

Related words

• compitum
• petō
• English compete
• English competition

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 m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com