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congredior

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word congredior

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 250–184 BC, Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (gradior)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin gradior
Latin congredior
Latin congressus
English congress
English congressman
Latin congressio
Latin progredior
Latin progressus
English progress
Latin regredior
Latin gressus
Latin ingredior
Latin ingressus

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [kɔŋˈɡrɛ.di.ɔr][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [koŋˈɡrɛː.di.or][1]

Forms

congredior (present infinitive congredī, perfect active congressus sum); third (-iō variant) conjugation, deponent[1] Plautus has the infinitive congredīrī.[2] Glossaries have an active infinitive congredere.[3]

Etymology

It is from Latin con- + gradior (“to step, walk”).[2][3][1] The verb gradior goes back to Proto-Italic *grad-(e)i-.[4] Cognate with Old Irish in·greinn (“chases”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first example in the OLD is Plautus' “if a rich man comes, the poor man is afraid to approach him”.[2]

Semantic evolution

It means to go near, approach or meet a person, in a friendly or hostile sense.[2][5] As a military word it is to join battle, as in Accius' “you would think two gods of war had met in arms”.[2] Figuratively it is to contend in discussion or in court, as in Gellius' philosopher grappling with pain.[2][1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of approaching a rich man.[2][6]
  • 170–c. 90 BC – Accius of joining battle.[2][6]
  • c. 165 AD – Gellius of contending with pain.[2][6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To approach, meet, accost.[2][5][1]
  2. To join battle, engage, fight.[2][5][1]
  3. To contend in discussion or at law.[2][1]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de

Derived terms

Cite this entry

“Congredior.” Etymologically, 19 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/congredior. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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