sapio

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈsa.pi.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsaː.pi.o]^[1]

Forms

sapiō (present infinitive sapere, perfect active sapīvī or sapiī or sapuī); third (-iō variant) conjugation, no passive, no supine stem^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *sap-i-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *sh₁p-i- (“to notice”), which de Vaan takes as an athematic i-present.^[2][1] Cognate with Oscan sipus (“knowing”), Old High German antseffen (“to perceive”) and Old English sefa (“mind”).^[2][3] The laryngeal *h₁ rests on the Sabellic ē in *sēp-, which may be analogical.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Naevius.^[2] Cato says that oil will taste bad, male sapiet.^[3] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Its concrete sense was to have a taste or smell of something, as of oil or perfumes, and figuratively to smack of a quality.^[3] Of persons it meant to have taste or discernment, to be wise or sensible, as in Ennius' “the wise man who cannot help himself is wise in vain”, and in medicine to be in one's right mind.^[3]

Its participle sapiēns “wise” and the noun sapientia “wisdom” come from it, sapiēns gave English sapient.^[5] In Vulgar Latin it came to mean “to know”, as in Italian sapere, French savoir and Spanish saber, and French savant gave English savant.^[1][5]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.^[2][4]
• 234–149 BC – Cato says oil will taste bad.^[3][4]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius says the wise man who cannot help himself is wise in vain.^[3][4]
• late 15th century – English sapient is recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To have a taste (of); to smell (of).^[3]
2. To smack (of a quality).^[3]
3. To have taste or discernment.^[3]
4. To be wise, sensible.^[3]
5. (medicine) To be in one's right mind.^[3]

Word family

• assipio
• cōnsipiō
• deseps
• dēsipiō
• īnsipiēns
• insipiō
• nesapius
• persapiēns
• praesipiō
• resipiō
• sapidus
• sapientia

Related words

• sībus
• sapiēns
• English sapient
• English savant

References

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