Etymologically
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permetior

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [pɛrˈmeː.ti.ɔr][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [perˈmɛt.t͡si.or][1]

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