pateo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈpa.te.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpaː.te.o]^[1]

Forms

pateō (present infinitive patēre, perfect active patuī); second conjugation, no passive, no supine stem^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *patē-, a stative verb formed within Italic on a base *pat-, the same as in pandō “to spread out”, from the root Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- (“to spread”).^[2][1] Cognate with Ancient Greek πετάννυμι (petánnumi, “to spread out”) and Old English fæþm (English fathom), and probably with Oscan pat- (“is open”).^[3][2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus,^[2] who wonders why a man stands outside when the doors are open to him.^[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to be open, of doors, gates, buildings and roads, to be exposed to danger, and of opportunities to be open or available to someone.^[3] It also meant to be visible or evident, and to extend or stretch out, as of a cave in Ennius or a country in Caesar.^[3][6] Cicero says that the nostrils are always open.^[6]

Its derivatives include patefaciō “to open up”, patulus “spreading” and patera “a shallow dish”.^[2][1] The participle patēns gave English patent, first in letters patent, open letters granting a right.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus speaks of doors open to someone.^[3][5]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius speaks of a cave stretching far under a mountain.^[3][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero says the nostrils are always open.^[6][5]
• late 14th century – English patent is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To be open.^[3]
2. To be passable, open (of roads).^[3]
3. To be exposed (to).^[3]
4. To be available, accessible (to).^[3]
5. To be visible; to be evident.^[3]
6. To extend, stretch out.^[3]

Word family

• bipatens
• interpateo
• patefaciō
• patefio
• patēscō
• pator
• patulus
• semipatens
• subpateō
• patera
• patibulum

Related words

• pandō
• English patent

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com