Etymologically
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competo

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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

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