sponte

Forms

sponte (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is the ablative of spōns (“will”), a noun used only in this case and, rarely, in the genitive ⟨spontis⟩.^[2][3][4] Its origin is unclear: de Vaan finds the derivation from Proto-Indo-European *(s)penh₁- (“to spin”) based only on similar shape, and the OLD compares Old High German spanst (“stimulus, attraction”).^[3][2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan gives Plautus as its first author,^[3] who has mea sponte, “of my own accord”, in the Truculentus and “I know you erred not of your own will” in the Trinummus.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Meā sponte, suā sponte is “of my own, one's own accord, voluntarily”, also without a possessive, as Virgil's Italiam nōn sponte sequor, “not of my own will do I seek Italy”.^[2][4] With a genitive it is “by the will of” another, as Lucan's sponte deum, and sponte nātūrae is “naturally”.^[2] It also means deliberately, “by oneself, unaided”, as Cicero's fire that dies out of itself, and “in itself, essentially”.^[2]

Church Latin has suā sponte, “willingly, of one's own accord”, and in medieval Latin it is “intentionally”.^[6][7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus has mea sponte.^[2][3][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of a fire dying out of itself.^[2][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil's Italiam nōn sponte sequor.^[2][5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. suā sponte: Of one's own accord, voluntarily, spontaneously.^[2][4][1][6]
2. (with genitive) By the will of;^[2] sponte nātūrae, naturally.^[2]
3. Deliberately, intentionally.^[2][7]
4. By oneself, unaided; in itself, essentially.^[2]

Related words

• ultrō
• voluntās
• English spontaneous

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes it from ultrō: sponte is “voluntarily”, with reference to the mind of the doer, ultrō “over-readily”, with reference to the act itself.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper