possido

Forms

possīdō (present infinitive possīdere, perfect active possēdī, supine possessum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin potis (“master, in control of”) + sīdō (“to sit down, settle”), the verb of entering possession beside possideō (“to possess”).^[2][1] De Vaan traces potis to Proto-Indo-European *pót-i- (“master, lord”), and sīdō to Proto-Italic *sizd-e/o- (“to sit down”) and Proto-Indo-European *si-sd-e/o- (“to sit down”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short's instances begin with Cicero, who in the De oratore has taking possession of someone's goods without a will,^[1] and in the Verrines someone who had soon taken over the whole man and his whole praetorship.^[1]

Semantic evolution

It is to take possession of, seize upon, as the Bellum Alexandrinum has of a kingdom.^[1][2] With things as subject it is poetic and post-classical: Lucretius has air taking over all the void, Ovid the surrounding water occupying the farthest places, and Justin fire seizing everything.^[1] The OLD discusses other possible instances under possideō.^[2]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero, of taking possession of goods.^[1][4]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius, of air filling the void.^[1][4]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid, of water occupying the edges of the world.^[1][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To take possession of, seize upon, take hold of.^[2][1]
2. Of things, to occupy, fill.^[1]

Related words

• possideō
• possessiō
• sīdō
• potis

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
2. ^ a b c d 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de