Etymologically
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guberno

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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

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