Etymologically
Log in

consuo

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Latin word consuo

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 250–184 BC, Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European *siuH-ie/o-

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈkõː.su.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈkɔn.su.o][1]

Forms

cōnsuō (present infinitive cōnsuere, perfect active cōnsuī, supine cōnsūtum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin con- + suō (“to sew”).[2][1] De Vaan traces the simple verb to Proto-Italic *s(j)ūje/o- and Proto-Indo-European *siuH-ie/o- (“to sew”), and finds the compound from Plautus on.[3]

Cognate with Lithuanian siū́ti and Latvian šũt, both meaning “to sew”.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan finds it from Plautus on.[3] Plautus already uses it figuratively, in the Amphitruo, of lies stitched together, cōnsūtīs dolīs.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

The literal sense is to sew two things together, or to make something by sewing pieces together: Varro speaks of sewing a tunic out of two pieces, Vitruvius of hides sewn double, and Ulpian of parchment sheets not yet sewn.[5][6] Lewis and Short call the word very rare and mostly pre- and post-classical.[5] In Plautus it is said of devising tricks,[2][5] and Seneca uses the phrase ōs cōnsuere, to sew up someone's mouth, that is, to forbid them to speak.[5][4] Pliny the Elder uses it scornfully of stuffing picture galleries with old paintings.[5][6] In cookery Apicius uses it for sewing up stuffed meat.[6]

In law, Gaius uses the neuter participle cōnsūtum for a garment stitched together.[5] Jerome speaks of people who sew tunics together after losing the seamless one.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus speaks of lies cōnsūtīs dolīs, “with stitched-up tricks”.[2][7]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of sewing a tunic from two pieces.[5][6][7]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses ōs cōnsuere for silencing someone.[5][7]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of filling galleries with old pictures.[5][7]
  • 140–180 AD – Gaius uses cōnsūtum for a stitched garment.[5][7]
  • c. 383–419/420 AD – Jerome writes of sewing tunics together.[6][7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To sew together, stitch up; to make by sewing pieces together.[2][5]
  2. (figurative) To patch up, devise, contrive (tricks, lies).[2][5]
  3. ōs cōnsuere: to sew up someone's mouth, forbid them to speak.[5][4]
  4. To fill or stuff with something (scornfully).[5]

Word family

  • consutilis
  • consutum
  • inconsutus

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c 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 c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d e f Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  7. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Consuo.” Etymologically, 21 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/consuo. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·