situo

Forms

situō (present infinitive situāre, perfect active situāvī, supine situātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin situs¹ (“position, site”), a verb formed on the noun.^[1][2][3][4] The noun goes back to the supine of sinō (“to leave, let; to put”).^[1][5] French situer is from it.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Medieval Latin used it for placing or putting something, and in the passive for being situated.^[3][2][1] In British sources it also meant to site a building or set up and establish something, and in the 15th century to impose a tax.^[2] Niermeyer also records the sense “to appoint”.^[3] The past participle, “placed, situated”, is common.^[2]

Timeline

• 1290 – English accounts use it for siting houses.^[2]
• 1430 – A court roll says where a mill was once situated.^[2]
• 1461 – It is used of a sum of money imposed on the churches of Scotland.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (Medieval Latin) to place, put, situate;^[3][2][1] (passive) to be situated.^[3][2][1]
2. (Medieval Latin) to site (a building); to set up, establish.^[2]
3. (Medieval Latin) to appoint.^[3]
4. (Medieval Latin) to impose (a tax).^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill