Etymologically
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consors

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkõː.sɔrs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkɔn.sors][1]

Forms

cōnsors (genitive cōnsortis); third-declension one-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin con- + sors (“lot, share”).[2][3][1] Sors is *sorti- (“joining”), from Proto-Indo-European *sr-ti- (“joining, joint”).[4] Varro explains consortes as those who have the same lot.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lucretius calls body and soul endowed with a shared life.[2] Köbler's first source is Varro (116–27 BC).[6]

Semantic evolution

It was first a person who shares an inheritance, as Festus says, sors meaning a patrimony.[2] It meant a partner or colleague, as Cicero's partner in gains and thefts, and Virgil's Mezentius asking to share his son's tomb.[2] As an adjective it meant shared, held in common, as in Lucretius and Propertius, and also kindred; as a noun it also meant a brother or sister.[2][1]

In medieval Latin it meant a holder of neighbouring land, a member of the same village community, and a co-regent.[7] English consort was borrowed in the early 15th century as “partner”.[8]

Timeline

  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of a shared life.[2][6]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro explains the word.[5][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a partner in thefts.[2][6]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of sharing a tomb.[2][6]
  • early 15th century – English consort is borrowed.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A co-heir, one who shares an inheritance.[2]
  2. A partner, colleague, sharer.[2][1]
  3. A brother, sister; a spouse.[1][6]
  4. (Medieval Latin) A neighbouring landholder; a co-regent.[7]

Adjective

  1. Shared, held in common.[2][1]
  2. Kindred.[1]

Word family

  • cōnsortium
  • cōnsortiō

Usage notes

Döderlein says socii are bound by common interests to act together, while sodales are companions in the enjoyment of life.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper