roto

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈrɔ.toː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈrɔː.to]^[1]

Forms

rotō (present infinitive rotāre, perfect active rotāvī, supine rotātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from rota “wheel”.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Ovid, of spinning and whirling.^[2] Köbler dates Ovid 43 BC–18 AD.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to make something round spin, rotate, and to whirl round, as in Ovid.^[2] In Seneca it meant to roll onward, and in Petronius to shape like a wheel.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to revolve, turn, roll, whirl.^[5] It survives in Italian rotare and ruotare, and Spanish and Portuguese rodar.^[1] Its noun rotātiō gave English rotation in the 1550s, and English rotate was formed from it in 1794.^[3]

Timeline

• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of spinning.^[2][4]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of rolling.^[2][4]
• 1550s – English rotation is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To spin, rotate.^[2]
2. To whirl round.^[2]
3. To roll onward.^[2]
4. To shape like a wheel.^[2]

Word family

• arrotans
• circumrotō
• irroto
• rotabilis
• rotatilis
• rotatim
• rotātiō
• rotātor
• rotātus
• subrotātus

Related words

• rota
• rotundus
• English rotation
• English rotate

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 j 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. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson