Etymologically
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evolvo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word evolvo

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Ennius
Ultimate origin
Latin (volvō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [eːˈwɔɫ.woː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [eˈvɔl.vo][1]

Forms

ēvolvō (present infinitive ēvolvere, perfect active ēvolvī, supine ēvolūtum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from ex- “out” and volvō “to roll”.[2][1][3] Catullus and Ovid have forms scanned with four syllables, ⟨ēvoluam⟩, ⟨ēvoluisse⟩.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Ennius, of unfolding by narrative.[2] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to roll out or away, as Livy's, and Lucretius' wind rolling away the trees, to make flow, and to wrench out, as in Lucretius, and in Plautus to evict, and in Terence to free.[2][6] It meant to uncover, unwrap, and figuratively to unfold, discover, as in Cicero, to unwind a spindle, as in Ovid, and to unroll a book, read through, as in Suetonius.[2] It meant to turn over in the mind, to unfold in narrative, as in Ennius, and in Seneca to unwind a series of events.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to develop, roll away, unroll, unfold.[7] English evolve came in the 1640s, “to unfold, open out”, especially of books, and English evolution in the 1620s from ēvolūtiō “unrolling of a book”.[8]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of unfolding a story.[2][5]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of evicting.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of discovering.[2][5]
  • 1640s – English evolve is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To roll out; to make flow.[2]
  2. To wrench out; to evict; to free.[2]
  3. To uncover; to unfold, discover.[2]
  4. To unwind; to unroll a book, read through.[2]
  5. To turn over in the mind.[2]
  6. To narrate, unfold.[2]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Evolvo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/evolvo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·