congressus

Forms

congressus m (genitive congressūs); fourth declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin congredior (“to meet”) + -tus, an action noun.^[2][1] Congredior is from con- and gradior “to step”.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Cicero, who says of Vatinius that nobody thinks him worth meeting or approaching.^[3][2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant a coming together in a friendly or hostile way.^[4] As a friendly meeting it was an encounter, interview or conference, often contrasted by Cicero with digressus “parting”, then social intercourse and companionship.^[2][5] Lucretius uses it of the coming together of matter, and Cicero of an agreement made by meeting.^[2]

As a hostile meeting it was an engagement with an enemy, as Cicero's comparison with the gladiatorial combat of life.^[2] Gaffiot also gives the sense of sexual intercourse.^[5] Medieval Latin kept the senses of meeting, clash and battle, and British sources used it of a voyage.^[6][7] English congress is recorded about 1400, and in the sense of a meeting of people from the 1520s.^[8]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of the meeting of matter.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of meetings and of combat.^[2][3]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of social intercourse.^[2][3]
• c. 1400 – English congress is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A meeting, encounter, interview.^[2][1]
2. Social intercourse, companionship.^[2]
3. A coming together, union.^[2]
4. An agreement.^[2]
5. A hostile encounter, an engagement.^[2][1]
6. Sexual intercourse.^[5][1]

Related words

• congredior
• English congress

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
7. ^ 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
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com