guberno

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɡʊˈbɛr.noː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ɡuˈbɛr.no]^[1]

Forms

gubernō (present infinitive gubernāre, perfect active gubernāvī, supine gubernātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek κυβερνάω (kubernáō, “to steer”).^[2][3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Ennius has “while I hold the tiller straight and steer the ship”.^[2][4] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense was to steer a ship, as Cicero's sailors contending over who should steer.^[2][4] Gubernare e terra, to steer from the shore, was a proverb in Livy for advising from safety.^[6]

Figuratively it meant to direct, control or govern, as Cicero's rights governed at the nod of a courtesan.^[2] Its derivatives include gubernātor “helmsman” and gubernāculum “rudder”.^[1] Romance kept it, as French gouverner, and English govern came through Old French in the late 13th century.^[1][7]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of steering a ship.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of governing.^[2][5]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses the proverb gubernare e terra.^[6][5]
• late 13th century – English govern is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To steer, pilot (a ship).^[2][1]
2. To direct, control, govern.^[2][1]

Word family

• aggubernō
• gubernābilis
• gubernāculum
• gubernātiō
• gubernātor
• gubernātrix
• gubernio
• gubernius
• gubernum

Related words

• gubernātīvus
• English govern
• English government

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Saalfeld, Günther Alexander (1874), Index Graecorum vocabulorum in linguam latinam translatorum, Berlin: Weidmann
4. ^ a b 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. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com