ostendo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɔsˈtɛn.doː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [osˈtɛn.do]^[1]

Forms

ostendō (present infinitive ostendere, perfect active ostendī, supine ostentum or ostēnsum); third conjugation^[1] Perfect participle ostentum (Terence, Cato, Varro) or, later, ostēnsum.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is for ⟨*obstendō⟩, from obs-, a form of ob- “before, towards”, and tendō “to stretch”.^[2][1][4] De Vaan traces ⟨tendō⟩ to Proto-Italic *tend-, from Proto-Indo-European *ten-d(ʰ)- (“to stretch”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Ennius, of holding out a prospect.^[2] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to stretch out, hold out for inspection, show, display, as in Plautus' holding out the hands; to reveal, and to show oneself, appear, as in Terence; to point to; to bring a fact to someone's attention, mention, as in Sallust; to show a feeling or quality by one's actions; of words, to express, denote, as in Varro; to make known; to prove, demonstrate, as in Cato; to promise or threaten, as in Cicero; and to hold out a prospect, as in Ennius.^[2][3] The Thesaurus notes the augural use of the old participle, as in portendō.^[4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to show, display, expose.^[7] English borrowed it as the rare English ostend.^[1]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.^[2][6]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of showing.^[2][6]
• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of proving.^[2][6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To hold out, show, display; to reveal.^[2]
2. (reflexive) To show oneself, appear.^[2]
3. To point out, mention; to make known.^[2]
4. To show, evince; to demonstrate, prove.^[2]
5. (of words) To express, denote.^[2]
6. To promise or threaten; to hold out (a prospect).^[2]

Word family

• ostēnsiō
• ostensor
• ostentō
• ostentum
• ostentus
• praeostendo
• subostendo
• ostēnsus

Related words

• tendō
• obtendō
• portendō

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
4. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson