habeo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈha.be.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaː.be.o]^[1]

Forms

habeō (present infinitive habēre, perfect active habuī, supine habitum); second conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *χab/f-ē- (“has taken, holds”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *gʰh₁b(ʰ)-(e)i- (“to take”).^[2] De Vaan follows Schrijver in taking the stative as “to have taken”, hence “to have, hold”.^[2] Cognate with Umbrian habia (“may hold”) and Oscan hafiest (“will have”).^[2][3] The Oxford Latin Dictionary also compares Old Irish gaibim (“I take”).^[3] The Thesaurus notes that the relation between the Italic forms is hard to judge, and Lewis & Short called the origin doubtful.^[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It appears in the Twelve Tables and in Livius Andronicus.^[2] Köbler dates the Twelve Tables c. 450 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was to own or possess, to have with one or wear, to have a quality, to hold under one's command, and to keep or retain.^[3] From “to hold” it meant to regard or consider something as so, to know a fact, to hold a meeting or make a speech, and with an adverb to be in a certain state (bene habēre).^[3][7] Plautus also uses it absolutely for “to live, dwell”.^[3] With a gerundive or an infinitive it expressed obligation, and with a perfect participle it said that something was in a certain state.^[3]

In Late and Medieval Latin habēre with a past participle became an auxiliary for the perfect, and with an infinitive expressed what will or must happen.^[1] It survives as Italian avere, French avoir and Romanian avea.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables use it.^[2][6]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of owning slaves and of living somewhere.^[3][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of holding meetings and regarding things as certain.^[3][6]
• early 14th century – English able is recorded, from habilis, a derivative of habēre.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To have, own, possess.^[3][5]
2. To have with one; to wear, carry.^[3]
3. To have (a quality, feature or faculty).^[3]
4. To have under one's command or control.^[3]
5. To keep, hold, retain, in animō habēre, to have in mind.^[3]
6. To hold, conduct (a meeting); to make (a speech).^[3]
7. To regard, consider (as); to treat.^[3][1]
8. To know, be informed of.^[3]
9. To dwell, live (somewhere).^[3][1]
10. With an adverb or reflexive, to be (so), bene sē habēre, to be well.^[3]
11. With a gerundive or infinitive, to have (to do).^[3]
12. (Late Latin, Medieval Latin) An auxiliary for the perfect; with an infinitive, will, must.^[1]

Word family

• abhibeō
• adhibeō
• antehabeō
• cohibeō
• dehibeō
• diribeō
• exhibeō
• habēna
• habentia
• habilis
• habitiō

Related words

• habilitās
• habiliter
• dēbeō
• enubrō
• English able

Usage notes

Hoc habet “he has got it” was the cry when a gladiator was hit.^[3] Döderlein distinguishes teneō, to hold fast in the hand, from habēre, to have in one's power, and possideō, to own.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
8. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper