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coniugo

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word coniugo

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
81–43 BC Cicero, De officiis More words from the 1st century BC
Ultimate origin
Latin iugō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin iugum
Italian giogo
Romanian jug
Spanish yugo
Latin iugō
Latin coniugō
From the same root
Latin biiugus ← iugum
Latin iugālis ← iugum
Latin iugulum ← iugum
Latin quadrīga ← iugum
Latin subiugius ← iugum
Latin subiugō ← iugum
Romanian înjuga ← iugum
Romanian jugar ← iugum

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈkɔn.jʊ.ɡoː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈkɔn.ju.ɡo][1]

Forms

coniugō (present infinitive coniugāre, perfect active coniugāvī, supine coniugātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin con- + iugō (“to join, yoke”), “to yoke together”.[2][3] Wiktionary also allows a derivation from Latin coniūnx + -ō, from the word for a spouse.[1] The verb iugō belongs with iugum (“yoke”).[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Cicero's De officiis, of the most pleasant friendship, quam similitudo morum coniugavit (“which likeness of character has joined together”).[3][5]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin the verb was rare.[6] Besides forming a friendship, Cicero used the participle coniugata in the Topica for words related by derivation.[6] From Apuleius on it meant to join in marriage,[3][5][7] and Augustine has coniugatus for a married man.[3][5][8] Neo-Latin authors such as Reuchlin used the participle in the same sense.[7]

In New Latin grammar the verb came to mean “to conjugate” a verb,[1] and English borrowed the participle as conjugate in the 1520s, in that grammatical sense.[4]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of friendship joined by likeness of character, and of related words.[3][6][9]
  • c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses it of marriage.[3][5][9]
  • 354–430 AD – Augustine uses coniugatus of a married man.[3][9]
  • 1520s – English borrows conjugate in the grammatical sense.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To join together, unite; to form (a friendship).[2][6]
  2. To join in marriage, marry.[2][3][8]
  3. (New Latin, grammar) To conjugate.[1]

Word family

  • coniugātiō
  • coniugātor

Usage notes

The neuter participle coniugātum is used by Quintilian as a noun in the same sense as coniugātiō.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  6. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de
  8. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  9. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Coniugo.” Etymologically, 13 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/coniugo. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·