Etymologically
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roto

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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

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