Etymologically
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sino

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈsɪ.noː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsiː.no][1]

Forms

sinō (present infinitive sinere, perfect active sīvī or siī, supine situm); third conjugation[1] The Twelve Tables and early poets have perfect subjunctives sīrīs, sīrit.[2] The perfect is sīvī or siī.[3][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *sine/o- (“to put in place”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *tḱei- (“to settle, build”).[2] The participle situs “placed” and the compound pōnō keep the old sense “to put down”.[2][4][5] Cognate with Sanskrit क्षेति (kṣéti, “dwells”) and Ancient Greek κτίζω (ktízō, “to found, build”).[2] The Oxford Latin Dictionary compares Ancient Greek ἐάω (eáō, “to let”) instead.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Twelve Tables use it.[2] Köbler dates the Twelve Tables c. 450 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

Georges and Gaffiot say that the first sense, “to set down”, survives only in situs and pōnō.[4][5] As a verb it was to leave alone or let be, to let something pass, sine “never mind!”, to leave in a state, and to allow or permit, also with an infinitive.[3][1]

Its compound dēsinō “to cease” was common.[2] English site comes from situs.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables use sīrit.[2][6]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses siit.[3][6]
  • late 14th century – English site is recorded, from situs.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To leave alone, let be; to leave untouched.[3][8]
  2. To let pass, sine, never mind![3]
  3. To leave (in a state).[3]
  4. To let, permit, allow.[3][1]
  5. To put, lay, set down.[1][5]

Word family

  • absitus
  • assitus
  • circumsitus
  • dēsinō
  • dissitus
  • prōsitus
  • situs
  • subsitus
  • pōnō

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 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press