Etymologically

concordo

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 23 October 2026 at 04:05. This address is a permanent link to this version.

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