penso

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈpẽː.soː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpɛn.so]^[1]

Forms

pēnsō (present infinitive pēnsāre, perfect active pēnsāvī, supine pēnsātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is the frequentative of pendō “to hang; to weigh”, formed with -tō.^[2][1][3] De Vaan traces ⟨pendō⟩ to Proto-Italic *pend-e/o- (“to hang, weigh”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- (“to spin”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Sallust, of making up for something.^[2] Köbler dates Sallust 86–34 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to weigh one thing against another, as in Seneca; to set money off against a debt, as in Ulpian; to exchange; to counterbalance, make up for, as in Sallust; and to weigh in the mind, ponder, as in Livy.^[2] Lewis & Short note that it is rare before Augustus and absent from Cicero.^[6]

Through Vulgar Latin it became French peser “to weigh”, the source of English poise, and French penser “to think”, from which English pensive comes.^[3][1]

Timeline

• 86–34 BC – Sallust uses it of making up for.^[2][5]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of pondering.^[2][5]
• late 14th century – English pensive and poise are recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To weigh against something.^[2]
2. To set off against a debt; to exchange.^[2]
3. To counterbalance, compensate.^[2]
4. To weigh in the mind, ponder.^[2]

Word family

• compēnsō
• expensō
• pensabilis
• pensātiō
• pensiculō
• pēnsitō
• perpensō
• repensō
• dispēnsō
• pēnsum

Related words

• pendō
• English poise
• English pensive

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 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. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press