dissipatus

Forms

dissipātus (also dissupātus), dissipāta, dissipātum; first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

Used as an adjective, it is the past participle from Latin dissipō (“to scatter, disperse”).^[1][2] De Vaan lists the verb, with the older spelling ⟨dissupō⟩, among the derivatives of the rare verb supō (“to throw”), which goes back to Proto-Italic *sup-i- and Proto-Indo-European *sup-i- (“to throw”); he calls the analysis of these verbs somewhat uncertain.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cicero uses it in the Pro Sestio of scattered people brought together into one place.^[1]

Semantic evolution

From people and things widely scattered (Cicero, Livy, Celsus)^[1] it passed to what is not brought into order: Cicero calls the civil law of his day diffuse and unsystematic, and a style of speech disjointed.^[1][2] He also contrasts loosening what is joined with joining what is scattered, and calls an orator disorganised in arranging his speech.^[1][4]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of scattered people and of disjointed speech.^[1][5]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of soldiers in scattered flight.^[1][5]
• 14–37 AD – Celsus uses it of scattered remnants left inside.^[1][5]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of style.^[1][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Widely scattered, dispersed.^[1]
2. Not systematically arranged, disordered, disjointed (of law, speech, an orator).^[1][2][6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
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. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T. (1890), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: American Book Company