Etymologically
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congruens

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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]
  • 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