completus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kɔmˈpɫeː.tʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [komˈplɛː.tus]^[1]

Forms

complētus (feminine complēta, neuter complētum); first/second-declension adjective^[1] Also spelled conplētus, and Gellius has the comparative complētior.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is the perfect participle of compleō “to fill up”, from com- and ⟨*pleō⟩ “to fill”, used as an adjective.^[2][1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source and Gaffiot's citation are from Cicero, of a rounded-off, complete sentence.^[5][3] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it meant rounded off, finished, complete, as in Cicero, and Gellius has a comparative.^[2][3] Köbler records it again in Justinian's Novels, after 534.^[5]

English complete (late 14th century, “having no deficiency”) comes from Old French complet or directly from complētus.^[4]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[3][5]
• c. 165 AD – Gellius uses the comparative.^[3][5]
• late 14th century – English complete is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Rounded off, finished, complete.^[2][3]

Word family

• complētiō

Related words

• compleō
• English complete

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de