formo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈfoːr.moː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfɔr.mo]^[1]

Forms

fōrmō (present infinitive fōrmāre, perfect active fōrmāvī, supine fōrmātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from fōrma “form, shape” with the verb suffix -ō.^[2][1][3] Some connect ⟨fōrma⟩ with Ancient Greek μορφή (morphḗ, “shape”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Lucretius, of giving a form, and Cicero uses it of moulding material.^[2] Köbler dates Lucretius 96–55 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to shape, mould material, as Cicero's māteriam fingere et fōrmāre, and to give definite shape, as in Catullus, to give a form or guise, to arrange the limbs, transform, and set in order.^[2][5] From Cicero it meant to adapt speech, express in words, and to mould a person's character, train, as in Horace, to dispose, and in Ovid to instruct.^[2] It meant to produce, form, articulate words, conceive an idea, develop a habit, depict, and of nature to constitute.^[2] In Cicero it meant to compose a document, and in Quintilian's grammar to inflect and to form words.^[2] Döderlein explains that ērudīre and fōrmāre are education as an ideal good.^[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to form, fashion, train, guide.^[7] It survives in Italian formare, and English form goes back to fōrma through Old French.^[1][8]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of giving form.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of moulding and of training.^[2][5][4]
• 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of shaping a life.^[2][4]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it in grammar.^[2][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To shape, mould, fashion.^[2]
2. To give a form; to arrange; to transform.^[2]
3. To adapt; to express.^[2]
4. To train, educate; to direct; to instruct.^[2]
5. To produce, form; to conceive; to develop.^[2]
6. To depict.^[2]
7. To compose.^[2]
8. (grammar) To inflect; to derive.^[2]

Word family

• biformātus
• cōnfōrmō
• dēfōrmō
• formabilis
• fōrmāmentum
• fōrmātiō
• fōrmātor
• formatrix
• formātūra
• īnfōrmō
• performo

Related words

• fōrma
• fōrmula
• English form

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
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. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com