instituo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ĩːˈstɪ.tu.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [inˈstiː.tu.o]^[1]

Forms

īnstituō (present infinitive īnstituere, perfect active īnstituī, supine īnstitūtum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from in- (“in, on”) and statuō “to set up”, with the vowel weakened to ⟨i⟩.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of setting an activity going and of establishing ceremonies.^[2] Plautus also has an old perfect instituīvī.^[4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to put or place in, as Plautus' arguments set up in the mind, to set in operation, organize, to build, and to raise a military force, as in Caesar.^[6][2] It meant to establish formally an institution or ceremony, to fix a standard, to appoint someone to an office, or as heir, and to originate a custom or set a precedent, as in Cicero.^[2] It meant to start on a task, as in Varro and Terence.^[2] It also meant to train, instruct, educate, and to teach a subject, as in Quintilian.^[2] Döderlein says īnstituere establishes a secular institution, īnstaurō a sacred or important one.^[7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to ordain, establish, instruct.^[8] It survives in French instituer and Spanish instituir.^[1] English institute came from its participle in the early 14th century, and English institution from īnstitūtiō about 1400.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of establishing.^[2][5]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of building and of raising forces.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of instituting customs and of instructing.^[2][5]
• early 14th century – English institute is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To set going, organize; to build.^[2]
2. To establish, found (an institution).^[2]
3. To appoint; to make (heir).^[2]
4. To institute (a custom); to set (a precedent).^[2]
5. To begin, set about.^[2]
6. To train, instruct; to teach.^[2]

Word family

• īnstitūtiō
• īnstitūtor
• īnstitūtum
• īnstitūtus

Related words

• statuō
• īnstaurō
• English institute
• English institution

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ 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. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson