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concordo

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word concordo

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
190–159 BC, Terence
Ultimate origin
Latin concors
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin cor
French cœur
Italian cuore
Latin concors
Latin concordo
From the same root
English concord ← cor
Latin excors ← cor
Latin socors ← cor
Latin vecors ← cor

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [kɔŋˈkɔr.doː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [koŋˈkɔr.do][1]

Forms

concordō (present infinitive concordāre, perfect active concordāvī, supine concordātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin concors (“of one mind, agreeing”) + -ō.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Terence,[4][5] meaning to live in harmony with someone: si concordabis cum illa “if you get on with her”.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it is rare: one passage each in Terence, Cicero and Pliny the Elder, two each in Ovid, Manilius and Apuleius, and more in Seneca.[4] Cicero uses it of the mind whose judgements and opinions agree;[2][7] Ovid of songs that harmonise with the lyre's strings;[2][7] Manilius of stars moving in their pattern.[2][7] Pliny the Elder is the first to use it transitively, and Papinian has a marriage that was well brought into harmony.[4][2] Christian authors used it often, Augustine most of all,[4] for agreeing, being of one mind.[8][4] Medieval writers used it of people being of one mind, of witnesses and texts agreeing, and of reconciling parties in a lawsuit.[9][10]

Timeline

  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of living in harmony with someone.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of judgements that agree.[2][5]
  • 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of song harmonising with the lyre.[2][5]
  • before 212 AD – Papinian uses it transitively of a marriage.[2][5]
  • 354–430 AD – Augustine uses it often.[4][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To be on good terms, live in harmony.[2][11]
  2. (of things) To agree, be consistent;[2][7] (of music) to harmonize;[2][7] (of stars) to keep their proper positions.[2][7]
  3. (transitive) To bring into harmony, reconcile.[2][4][3]
  4. (Ecclesiastical Latin) To agree, be of one mind.[8]
  5. (Medieval Latin) To agree, consent;[9][10] (law) to settle a dispute, come to terms.[9][10]

Word family

  • concordabilis
  • concordātiō

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 n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  8. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  9. ^ a b c Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  10. ^ a b c Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
  11. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
Cite this entry

“Concordo.” Etymologically, 23 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/concordo. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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