Etymologically
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comprehendo

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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

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