congruens

Forms

congruēns (genitive congruentis, superlative congruentissimus); third-declension one-termination adjective^[1][2]

Etymology

Used as an adjective, it is the present participle from Latin congruō (“to come together, agree”).^[1][2][3] That verb is a compound of con- and a ⟨-gruō⟩ known only from compounds and one gloss, which de Vaan derives from Proto-Italic *χruwe/o- and Proto-Indo-European *-gʰr(e)uh₁-e/o- (“to rush in”); he compares Lithuanian griáuti (“to destroy”) and griū́ti (“to crumble”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler first records it in Accius,^[5] who speaks of the art of reading entrails as consistent with prodigies.^[1][2]

Semantic evolution

It meant first “agreeing with something, in keeping with it”: Cicero has delivery in keeping with thought and a life consistent with a philosopher's teaching, Livy reports from deserters and prisoners that agree, and Varro explains concordia from a heart in agreement.^[1][2][6] It was also said of things alike or matching, such as the Latins, like the Romans in language and customs.^[1]

Applied to a thing in itself, it meant “harmonious, well proportioned”: Cicero speaks of a concord made out of very different voices, Livy of shouting in unison, and Suetonius of Tiberius' body as even and well proportioned down to the feet.^[1][2][6] From Cicero on it also meant “fitting, appropriate”, and Tacitus, Pliny the Younger and Gellius use congruēns est or congruēns vidētur for “it is (or seems) fitting”.^[1][2][6] The neuter plural congruentia meant consistent statements in Livy and Tacitus.^[6][3]

Late writers formed a comparative and superlative, as Lactantius' quid congruentius deō?,^[2] and Ecclesiastical Latin used it for “proper, seasonable, becoming”.^[7] In medieval Latin the neuter was also a noun, “what is fitting”.^[5] German kongruent goes back to it,^[5] and so does Italian congruente.^[3]

Timeline

• 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses it of an art consistent with prodigies.^[1][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of harmony, agreement and fitness.^[1][2][5]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of shouting in unison and of agreeing reports.^[1][5]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses congruēns vidētur, “it seems fitting”.^[1][6][5]
• c. 250–317 AD – Lactantius uses the comparative.^[2][5]
• 865–888 AD – A letter of Rimbert uses the neuter as a noun.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Uniting or combining harmoniously;^[1][2] sounding together, in unison.^[1][6]
2. Agreeing, in keeping (with), consistent;^[1][3] (of statements) agreeing;^[1] corresponding, similar, matching.^[1]
3. Agreeing in point of time.^[1]
4. Appropriate, fitting;^[1][2] congruēns est, it is fitting.^[1][2]
5. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Proper, seasonable, becoming.^[7]

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) What is fitting.^[5]

Related words

• congruus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
3. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
4. ^ 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 d e f g h i j Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d e f Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson