conamen

Forms

cōnāmen n (genitive cōnāminis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin cōnor (“to try, attempt”) + -men (“noun suffix”).^[2][1] De Vaan reconstructs the verb as Proto-Italic *kōnāje/o- (“to attempt”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ḱōn- (“ascent”), but marks the root with a query.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Lucretius,^[3][4] who uses it of the effort of birds' wings that comes to nothing.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

It was mostly a poetic word.^[5] It meant an exertion of strength or a struggle, as when a great stone is thrown with a great effort in Ovid, or the power to move;^[2] and, often in the plural, an attempt or enterprise, as Ovid's attempts at death and Velleius' judgement that Catullus was not inferior in any attempt of the work he undertook.^[2][5] Ovid once used it concretely for a support or prop, of an infant first standing upright.^[5][6]

Medieval writers used it for effort and impetus, often in the phrase tōtō cōnāmine, with all one's might;^[7] Köbler also lists the senses of an intention or plan and an unlawful proceeding.^[4]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of the effort of wings.^[2][4]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it for a mighty effort, for attempts and for a prop.^[2][4]
• c. 20 BC–30 AD – Velleius Paterculus uses it of a literary attempt.^[2][4]
• 639–709 AD – Aldhelm writes of keeping God's commands with all the effort of the mind.^[7][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. An exertion of strength, an effort, a struggle; the power to move.^[2][5]
2. An attempt, endeavour, enterprise.^[2]
3. A support, prop.^[5][6]

Word family

• cōnāmentum

Related words

• cōnābilis
• cōnātiō
• cōnātum
• cōnātus
• cōnor

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press