Etymologically

Etymology and origin of the Latin word consurgo

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
96–55 BC, Lucretius
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*h₃reǵ-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin rego
Latin dirigo
French diriger
Latin directio
English direction
French direction
Latin regula
French règle
French régler
Latin regularis
English regular
Latin regio
French région
Latin regionalis
English regional
Latin rector
Latin surgo
French surgir
Latin consurgo
Latin pergo

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [kõːˈsʊr.ɡoː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [konˈsur.ɡo][1]

Forms

cōnsurgō (present infinitive cōnsurgere, perfect active cōnsurrēxī, supine cōnsurrēctum); third conjugation, no passive[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin con- + surgō (“to rise”).[2][1] De Vaan lists ⟨surgō⟩, with ⟨cōnsurgō⟩, among the compounds of regō (“to direct”); ⟨surgō⟩ contains sub- (“up from under”).[3] He traces ⟨regō⟩ to Proto-Italic *rege/o- and Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ-e/o- (“to stretch, direct”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan gives Lucretius as its first author,[3] who has a man getting up as if staggering.[2]

Semantic evolution

It is above all the rising of a body of people: Cicero's senate rose as one to beg Caesar, juries rose to consider their verdict, and in Livy a speaker rises to address the people.[2][4] It is also to get up from sleep, to rise from an ambush (Caesar), to go up, of stars rising and of things growing higher, to rise to strike, as Virgil's Turnus with his sword raised, and to tower, as his triple banks of oars.[2] Things also arise, as Lucretius' flame, a river's source, a wind, or a new war.[2]

Church Latin glosses it “stand up, rise up, rise with”.[5]

Timeline

  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius of getting up and of things rising.[2][3][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of the senate rising together.[2][6]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar of rising from an ambush.[2][6]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil of rising to strike.[2][6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To stand up, rise (together, from a seat); to rise to speak.[2][1][4]
  2. To get up (from sleep).[2]
  3. To rise from an ambush.[2][1]
  4. To go up, ascend, (of stars) to rise; to become higher.[2]
  5. To raise oneself (to strike); to tower.[2]
  6. To arise, spring up, (of rivers, winds, wars) to rise, break out.[2][5]

Word family

  • cōnsurrēctiō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Consurgo.” Etymologically, 19 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/consurgo. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·