Etymologically
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infero

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈĩː.fɛ.roː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈiɱ.fe.ro][1]

Forms

īnferō (present infinitive īnferre, perfect active intulī, supine illātum); third conjugation, suppletive[1] The perfect is intulī and the participle illātus (inlātus).[2]

Etymology

It is from in- “in, into” and ferō “to carry”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of putting something in, and Cato, of carrying into a place.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to carry into a place, as in Cato, and Caesar has in ignem īnferre “to throw into the fire”.[2][5] In Cicero it meant to bring forward with hostile intent, as signa īnferre “to advance to the attack”, bellum īnferre “to make war”, and to bury a corpse and to introduce something new.[2] In Pliny the Elder it meant to pay money in, and the Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it of bringing forward an argument; in Cicero it meant to inflict injury or death.[2] In Plautus it meant to bring into a state.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to bring in, inflict, wage.[6] In logic it came to mean to deduce, conclude, and in that sense it gave English infer in the 1520s; it was also borrowed into French inférer and Spanish inferir.[3][1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of putting in.[2][4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of carrying into a place.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses signa īnferre and of inflicting harm.[2][4]
  • 1520s – English infer is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To carry in, bring in; to put in, insert.[2]
  2. To bring forward with hostile intent, signa īnferre, to attack, bellum īnferre, to make war.[2][5]
  3. To bury.[2]
  4. To introduce; to import.[2]
  5. To pay in.[2]
  6. To bring forward (an argument).[2]
  7. To inflict, cause.[2]
  8. (logic) To infer, conclude.[3]

Word family

  • illātiō
  • illātīvus
  • īnferius
  • infertor
  • subīnferō
  • illātus
  • īnferibilis

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson