comprehendo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kɔm.preˈ(ɦ)ɛn.doː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kom.preˈɛn.do]^[1]

Forms

comprehendō (present infinitive comprehendere, perfect active comprehendī, supine comprehēnsum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from con- and prehendō “to catch, grasp”.^[1][2] The contracted form comprendō is frequent.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Plautus, whose character orders thieving cooks to be seized, bound and beaten.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to seize in the hand, take hold of, of plants to take root, and to catch fire, as Caesar's huts.^[2] It also meant to tie or join together, to arrest a person, as in Plautus, and to catch or come upon someone.^[2] Then it meant to enclose, include, hold an amount, to cover a subject in speech or writing, and to express in words.^[2] With animō or mente, and then alone, it meant to grasp with the mind, understand, learn.^[2][5]

It survives in French comprendre, Italian comprendere and Spanish comprender.^[1] English comprehend was borrowed in the mid-14th century in the sense “understand”, and English comprehensive comes through Late Latin comprehēnsīvus in the 1610s.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of arresting thieves.^[2][4]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of huts catching fire.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of grasping with the mind.^[2][4]
• mid-14th century – English comprehend is recorded.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To seize, take hold of.^[2]
2. (of plants) To take root.^[2]
3. To catch (fire).^[2]
4. To join together, unite.^[2]
5. To arrest, detain.^[2]
6. To catch, come upon.^[2]
7. To enclose, include.^[2]
8. To hold (an amount).^[2]
9. To deal with (in speech or writing); to express.^[2]
10. To grasp mentally, understand.^[2]

Word family

• comprehēnsibilis
• comprehēnsiō
• comprehēnsīvus
• incomprehensus
• comprehēnsō
• comprehēnsus

Related words

• apprehendō
• dēprehendō
• prehendō
• reprehendō
• English comprehend
• English comprehensive

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com