Etymologically
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struo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈstru.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈstruː.o][1]

Forms

struō (present infinitive struere, perfect active strūxī, supine strūctum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *strow-e/o-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *streu-e/o- (“to strew”).[2][1] The ⟨x⟩ and ⟨c⟩ of the perfect strūxī and the participle strūctum are analogical, after fluō, in which a /gʷ/ had disappeared between vowels.[2][1] If industrius goes back to *endo-struwo-, it was formed directly from this verb.[2]

Cognate with Umbrian struhçla (“a sacrificial cake”),[2] Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰𐌽 (straujan, “to strew”),[2][3] Old English strewian (“to strew”)[1] and Old Irish sruïd (“throws”).[2] The OLD also compares Latin sternō.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan finds it from the Laws of the Twelve Tables onwards.[2] Cato tells the farmer to build a lime kiln well, fornacem bene struito.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant to place things in layers or set them in position, as bricks in a siege shed,[3][4] and so to build walls, pyres and other structures.[3] It was used of composing literary works, of building up conditions such as hatred, and of drawing up battle lines.[3] Already in Plautus and Terence it meant to contrive plots and tricks.[3]

Its compounds cōnstruō, īnstruō, dēstruō and obstruō are the source of many English words.[1] Italian borrowed it as struere.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for contriving tricks.[3][5]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it for building a kiln.[3][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it for laying bricks.[3][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it for walls and pyres.[3][5]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses it for composing poems.[3][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To set in position, arrange in layers, pile up.[3][1]
  2. To construct, build.[3][1]
  3. To compose (a literary work).[3]
  4. To build up, bring about (a state of affairs).[3]
  5. To draw up (troops in line).[3]
  6. To contrive, devise (a plan, a plot).[3][1]

Word family

  • astruō
  • circumstruō
  • cōnstruō
  • dēstruō
  • exstruō
  • industrius
  • īnstruō
  • interstruō
  • obstruō
  • perstruō
  • praestruō
  • restruō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 i j k l m n o p q r Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de