perturbo

Forms

perturbō (present infinitive perturbāre, perfect active perturbāvī, supine perturbātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin per- (“thoroughly”) + turbō (“to disturb”).^[2][1] ⟨turbō⟩ is from turba (“uproar, crowd”), whose origin de Vaan considers uncertain: the comparison with Sanskrit त्वरते (tvarate, “hurries”) is formally doubtful.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, Amphitruo: I'll punish the sorcerer who wickedly deranged my household's mind (perturbāvit familiae mentem).^[2]

Semantic evolution

It is to throw things into confusion, as the eagle that disturbs the sea in Cicero's Aratea, and battle lines, as Sisenna's Gauls break up a column with their lances.^[2] It also means to upset the body or derange the mind.^[2] Figuratively it is to upset plans or a state of affairs (Plautus: he upsets my plans), and to stir up people, as Sittius was sent to stir up Further Spain (Cicero).^[2] Of the mind it is to agitate or perturb: Cicero's nervous orators are thrown into confusion at the start of a speech, and he uses it of emotions being stirred up.^[2]

Church Latin glosses it “disturb, perturb”.^[4] English perturb came in the late 14th century, from Old French and directly from Latin.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of deranging minds and upsetting plans.^[2][6]
• 120–67 BC – Sisenna of a column thrown into disorder.^[2][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of nervous orators.^[2][6]
• late 14th century – English perturb.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To throw into confusion, disorder;^[2][1][4] (military) to break up.^[2][1][4]
2. To upset (the body); to derange (the mind).^[2]
3. To disrupt, confound (plans, affairs); to stir up (people).^[2][7]
4. To agitate, perturb, alarm.^[2][1][4]

Word family

• imperturbātus
• perturbātiō
• perturbator
• perturbātrix
• perturbidus

Related words

• turbō
• turba
• English perturb

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press