effundo

Forms

effundō (present infinitive effundere, perfect active effūdī, supine effūsum); third conjugation^[1] It is also spelled ecfundō.^[2][3] Paulus' epitome of Festus gives exfūtī for effūsī.^[2]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin ex- (“out”) + fundō (“to pour”).^[2][3][1] De Vaan derives fundō from Proto-Italic *χund-e/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰu-n-d- (“to pour”), a nasal present of the root of Ancient Greek χέω (khéō, “to pour”), Gothic 𐌲𐌹𐌿𐍄𐌰𐌽 (giutan, “to pour”) and Sanskrit जुहोति (juhóti, “pours, sacrifices”); the initial /f/ for PIE /gʰ/ is found only in this verb.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has effunde cito hoc in barathrum, “pour this quickly down the pit”, of wine poured down the throat.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Effundere is “to pour out” liquids, of rain “to pour down”, and “to shed” tears or blood (Cicero of the tears shed for him in his troubles).^[2][1] Rivers sē effundunt, flow into the sea or overflow.^[2] It is also to send forth light or breath, and spīritum or animam effundere is “to breathe one's last”.^[2] Of words it is “to utter, pour forth” (Virgil: tālīs effundit pectore questūs, “such complaints he poured from his breast”), and of feelings “to give vent to”.^[2][1]

It means to let loose, and in the passive of crowds and armies “to stream out”; to squander money or strength; to throw a rider, to tip out, to overturn buildings; to slacken the reins, let the hair flow, and stretch out the arms; and in the past participle of troops “spread out loosely”.^[2][1] Church Latin glosses it “to pour out, pour forth, shed”.^[5] English effuse comes from its participle in the late 14th century.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: effunde cito hoc in barathrum.^[2][7]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of shedding tears.^[2][7]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil: tālīs effundit pectore questūs.^[2][7]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of a river flowing into the sea.^[2][7]
• late 14th century – English effuse.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To pour out;^[2][3][1][5] to pour down (rain);^[2] to shed (tears, blood).^[2][1]
2. (reflexive, of rivers) To flow out, overflow.^[2]
3. To send forth (light, breath);^[2] animam effundere: to breathe one's last.^[2]
4. To utter, pour forth (words, thoughts); to give vent to (feelings).^[2][1]
5. To let loose;^[2][1] (passive) to stream out (of crowds or armies).^[2][1]
6. To squander, waste.^[2][1]
7. To throw (from a horse); to overturn; to cast away, discard.^[2][1]
8. To slacken, loosen (reins, hair, clothing); to stretch out (the arms).^[2][1]
9. (past participle) Spread out loosely (of troops).^[2][1]

Word family

• effūsiō
• effusor
• effūsē
• effūsus

Related words

• cōnfundō
• fundō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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 q r s t u v w x y z Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
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 Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de