Etymologically
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instituo

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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

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