permetior

Forms

permētior (present infinitive permētīrī, perfect active permēnsus sum); fourth conjugation, deponent^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin per- + mētior (“to measure”).^[2][1][3] De Vaan explains the simple verb as made from a noun Proto-Italic *mēti- (“measurement”), from Proto-Indo-European *meh₁-ti-, which he also finds in Old English mǣd (“measure”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus on,^[4][5] who uses it of travelling a road, ad vos viam.^[6][7] The OLD’s first citation is from Ennius’ Annales, of a she-wolf that crosses a plain at a swift pace and makes for the woods.^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

It means both measuring exactly, as Cicero speaks of measuring the size of the sun as if with a ten-foot rod, and travelling over a distance from end to end, as in Plautus, Lucretius and Virgil.^[2][7] Statius uses permetiri oculis of boxers sizing each other up,^[2] and Seneca of passing right through a period of time.^[2] The perfect participle could have a passive sense, “measured”.^[9][3] Orosius uses it figuratively for weighing up or judging something.^[9]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of travelling a road.^[6][5]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of a she-wolf crossing a plain.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of measuring the size of the sun.^[2][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of travelling over the sea.^[7][3][5]
• c. 45–96 AD – Statius uses it of boxers sizing each other up.^[2][5]
• 417/418 AD – Orosius uses it of judging a situation.^[9][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To measure exactly, measure out.^[2][8]
2. permetiri oculis: to size up with the eyes.^[2]
3. To travel over from end to end, traverse.^[2][8]
4. To pass right through, complete (a period of time).^[2]
5. (Late Latin) To weigh up, judge.^[9]

Word family

• permensio

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b 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 d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
9. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier