consero

consero¹ sow, plant

Pronunciation

• Classical: [ˈkõː.sɛ.roː]^[1]
• Ecclesiastical: [ˈkɔn.se.ro]^[1]

Forms

cōnserō (present infinitive cōnserere, perfect active cōnsēvī, supine cōnsatum); third conjugation^[1] Celsus and Columella have a perfect cōnseruī for cōnsēvī.^[2][3]

Etymology

The verb “sow” is formed from con- (“together, thoroughly”) and serō (“to sow”).^[2][1] De Vaan derives ⟨serō⟩ from Proto-Italic *sise- (“to sow”), a reduplicated present Proto-Indo-European *si-sh₁-e- (“to sow”) of the root *seh₁-, cognate with Lithuanian sėti (“to sow”), Old Church Slavonic сѣти (sěti, “to sow”) and Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌹𐌰𐌽 (saian, “to sow”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cato is its first author in the OLD, who says “one should be eager to plant one's land” and tells the farmer to plant this kind of olive twenty-five feet apart.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

It is to sow or plant a field, as in Cato, Varro and Virgil, and in poetry to strew it thickly, as Lucretius' sun that “sows” the fields with light; the participle is said of people beset by troubles.^[2] It is also to plant trees or sow seed, as in Cato, Tibullus and Livy, and the Bellum Africum has hidden stakes set thickly outside a rampart.^[2]

Church Latin glosses it “sow or plant with something”.^[6]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato of planting land and olives.^[2][5]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius of the sun sowing the fields with light.^[2][5]
• 116–27 BC – Varro.^[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To sow, plant (a field); (poetic) to strew thickly;^[2][3][1][6] cōnsitus, beset.^[2][3][1][6]
2. To plant (trees); to sow (seed); to set thickly.^[2][1]

consero² join

Pronunciation

• Classical: [ˈkõː.sɛ.roː]^[1]
• Ecclesiastical: [ˈkɔn.se.ro]^[1]

Forms

cōnserō (present infinitive cōnserere, perfect active cōnseruī, supine cōnsertum); third conjugation^[1] Fronto has a perfect cōnsēvistī.^[3]

Etymology

The verb “join” is formed from con- (“together”) and serō (“to join, link”).^[2][1] De Vaan derives this ⟨serō⟩ from Proto-Italic *sere- and Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to thread, tie together”), cognate with Ancient Greek εἴρω (eírō, “to fasten together”) and Oscan aserum (“to lay onto”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus is its first author in the OLD, with pugnam cōnseruī senī, “I joined battle with the old man”, in the Bacchides.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It is to fasten things together, as Virgil's cloak “fastened with thorns”, to press together, as Matius' “joining lips to lips”, and in the participle cōnsertus closely packed, as Curtius' ships too crowded to steer.^[2][3] It is to make by joining, as Virgil's breastplate of linked hooks.^[2]

In war manum or manūs cōnserere is to come to close quarters, and pugnam or proelium cōnserere to join battle, as in Plautus, Virgil and Livy;^[2][3][1] sermōnem cōnserere is to engage in conversation, as in Curtius.^[2][3][1] In law ex iūre manum cōnserere is the symbolic struggle of the parties in a suit for possession.^[2] It is also to join non-material things, as Livy's farces “joined” to the Atellan plays, and to compose by linking.^[2] Wiktionary gives “to fold” in Medieval and Ecclesiastical Latin.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus has pugnam cōnserere.^[2][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil of fastening and of a linked breastplate.^[2][5]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of joining battle and of joined plays.^[2][5]
• 1st century AD – Curtius has sermōnem cōnserere.^[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To fasten together, join; to press together;^[2][3][1] cōnsertus, closely packed.^[2][3][1]
2. To make by joining, construct.^[2]
3. manum or pugnam cōnserere: to join battle, fight hand to hand;^[2][3][1] sermōnem cōnserere, to converse.^[2][3][1]
4. (law) ex iūre manum cōnserere: to make the symbolic claim in a suit for possession.^[2]
5. To link, make continuous; to compose.^[2]
6. (Medieval Latin) To fold.^[1]

Word family

• cōnsertiō
• cōnsertus