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consumo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word consumo

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Cato
Ultimate origin
Latin (sūmō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kõːˈsuː.moː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [konˈsuː.mo][1]

Forms

cōnsūmō (present infinitive cōnsūmere, perfect active cōnsūmpsī or cōnsūmsī, supine cōnsūmptum or cōnsūmtum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from con- and sūmō “to take”, so “to take wholly”.[2][1][3] Lucretius has ⟨cōnsūmpse⟩ and Propertius ⟨cōnsūmpstī⟩.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Cato, of eating.[2] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to destroy, wear away, as in Lucretius, to kill, as in Cicero, and to reduce to nothing, of things immaterial to put an end to, as in Caesar, and in Gaius' law to extinguish a right.[2] It meant to wear down, exhaust, and in Cato to eat, devour, and to swallow up.[2] From Lucilius it meant to spend labour, money or time, as Cicero's pecūniam cōnsūmere, to use up a supply, and to waste.[2][5] It meant to take up the whole extent of, and poetically to anticipate.[2]

English consume came in the late 14th century through Old French, first “to destroy by burning or eating”.[6] It was borrowed as French consumer and Spanish consumir.[1]

Timeline

  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of eating.[2][4]
  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it of spending labour.[2][4]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of destroying.[2][4]
  • late 14th century – English consume is recorded.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To destroy, wear away; to kill.[2]
  2. To put an end to, (law) to extinguish.[2]
  3. To exhaust.[2]
  4. To eat, consume.[2]
  5. To spend; to use up; to waste.[2]
  6. To take up the whole of.[2]

Word family

  • cōnsūmptiō
  • cōnsūmptor
  • consumptrix
  • incōnsummātus
  • incōnsūmptus
  • praeconsūmō
  • cōnsūmptibilis
  • cōnsūmptus

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 j k l m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Consumo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/consumo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·