Etymologically
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experior

Etymology and origin of the Latin word experior

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɛkˈspɛ.ri.ɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ekˈspɛː.ri.or][1]

Forms

experior (present infinitive experīrī or experīrier, perfect active expertus sum); fourth conjugation, deponent[1]

Etymology

It is from ex- and a verb *perior, found also in opperior “to wait for”; compare perīculum “trial, danger”, perītus “experienced” and Ancient Greek πεῖρα (peîra, “trial, attempt”).[2][3][4] Wiktionary compares the change of conjugation with comperiō and reperiō.[1] Terence has a future ⟨experibere⟩.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of making trial of something and of going to law.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to make trial of, put to the test, as Cicero's testing the strength of a poison, to resort to an expedient, and absolutely to go to law.[2][4] With an infinitive it meant to attempt, try to, as in Terence.[2] It meant to have experience of, undergo, to learn from experience that, and to find a person to be of a certain kind, as in Horace, and Cato uses the perfect in a passive sense.[2] Döderlein explains that tentāre is to make a trial from desire of knowledge, perīclitārī to make it in contempt of the danger.[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to try, endeavour, experience, test.[7] From it come experientia and experīmentum, the sources of English experience and English experiment.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of testing and of going to law.[2][5]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it with an infinitive.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of undergoing.[2][5]
  • late 14th century – English experience is recorded, from experientia.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To make trial of, put to the test, try out.[2]
  2. To resort to, try an expedient; to go to law.[2]
  3. To attempt, try to.[2]
  4. To experience, undergo; to learn by experience; to find (someone) to be.[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 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. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  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

“Experior.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/experior. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·