Etymologically
Log in

consono

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 18:56. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkõː.sɔ.noː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkɔn.so.no][1]

Forms

cōnsonō (present infinitive cōnsonāre, perfect active cōnsonuī); first conjugation, no passive, no supine stem[1]

Etymology

It is from con- “together” and sonō “to sound”.[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨sonō⟩ to Proto-Italic *swona-, from Proto-Indo-European *swenH- (“to sound”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD and Gaffiot cite Varro, of sounding together.[2][4] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to sound together or at the same time, to resound, as in Varro and Petronius; in music to make a concord, and of spoken sounds to rhyme or have assonance, as in Seneca; and figuratively to agree, be in harmony, as in Sallust.[2][4] Lewis & Short note it is rare before Augustus.[6]

It survives in Italian consonare and French consoner.[1]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it.[2][5]
  • 86–34 BC – Sallust uses it of agreement.[2][5]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of concord.[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To sound together; to resound.[2]
  2. To be in concord; to rhyme.[2]
  3. To agree, harmonise.[2]

Word family

  • consonantia
  • consonatio
  • cōnsonus
  • inconsonans
  • cōnsonāns
  • cōnsonanter

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press