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expando

Etymology and origin of the Latin word expando

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Caecilius
Ultimate origin
Latin (pandō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɛkˈspan.doː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ekˈspan.do][1]

Forms

expandō (present infinitive expandere, perfect active expandī, supine expānsum or expassum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from ex- “out” and pandō “to spread”.[2][1][3] Its participle is ⟨expassum⟩, as in Caecilius, or ⟨expānsum⟩, as in Pliny the Elder and Gellius.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Caecilius, of spreading out.[2] Köbler dates Caecilius 230/220–168 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to spread out, unfold, as Pliny the Elder's clothes spread over a cold spring, and in Seneca to become wider, expand.[2][6] In Lucretius it meant to expound, unfold in words.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to stretch, spread out.[7] It survives in Italian spandere and French épancher, and Anglo-French espaundre and Old French espandre with the Latin gave English expand in the early 15th century.[1][3]

Timeline

  • 230/220–168 BC – Caecilius uses it of spreading out.[2][5]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of expounding.[2][5]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of expanding.[2][5]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of spreading clothes.[6][5]
  • early 15th century – English expand is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To spread out, unfold; to expand.[2]
  2. To expound.[2]

Word family

  • expānsiō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b 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
Cite this entry

“Expando.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/expando. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·