insimul

Forms

īnsimul (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin in (“in”) + simul (“at the same time”).^[1][2][3] A spoken form insemul lies behind Italian insieme,^[4] and French ensemble also goes back to Late Latin insimul.^[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short find it first in Statius (c. 45–96 AD), in the Silvae, meaning “at the same time”; in Florus the editors now read insemel.^[7][5][3]

Semantic evolution

Classical examples are few: Statius and Paulus' epitome of Festus.^[4] In Late and Medieval Latin it became common for “together, in company” and “at the same time”,^[1][8][9] and also “in the same place”, “in all, in total” and “in concord, in unison”.^[9] Köbler also records it in the laws of the Lombards and of the Ripuarian Franks.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 45–96 AD – Statius uses it in the Silvae.^[7][5][3]
• c. 1210 – Gerald of Wales writes of people living together a long time.^[10]
• 1703 – English borrows French ensemble, from Late Latin insimul.^[6]

Meanings

Adverb

1. In company, together.^[2][1][10]
2. At the same time, simultaneously.^[7][1][9][8]
3. (Medieval Latin) In the same place.^[9]
4. (Medieval Latin) In all, in total.^[9]
5. (Medieval Latin) In concord, in unison.^[9]

Related words

• simul
• English ensemble

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
9. ^ a b c d e f Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
10. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press