habeo
Pronunciation
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
- To have, own, possess.[3][5]
- To have with one; to wear, carry.[3]
- To have (a quality, feature or faculty).[3]
- To have under one's command or control.[3]
- To keep, hold, retain, in animō habēre, to have in mind.[3]
- To hold, conduct (a meeting); to make (a speech).[3]
- To regard, consider (as); to treat.[3][1]
- To know, be informed of.[3]
- To dwell, live (somewhere).[3][1]
- With an adverb or reflexive, to be (so), bene sē habēre, to be well.[3]
- With a gerundive or infinitive, to have (to do).[3]
- (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
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
- ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ 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
- ^ 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
- ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
- ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
- ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
- ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper