Etymologically
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stupeo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈstʊ.pe.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈstuː.pe.o][1]

Forms

stupeō (present infinitive stupēre, perfect active stupuī); second conjugation, no passive, no supine stem[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *stup-ē- (“to be stunned”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *stup-eh₁- (“to be struck”), a stative verb to *(s)tewp- (“to push, hit”).[2][1] The same root, meaning “struck”, explains stuprum “dishonour”.[2]

Cognate with Ancient Greek τύπτω (túptō, “to strike”) and Ancient Greek τύπος (túpos, “blow, impression”),[2][3] with the Luwian and Lycian verbs for “to strike”, and with Albanian shtyp (“to crush”).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan finds it from Terence onwards,[2] whose character says his mind is numb with worry.[4][5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to be physically numb, paralysed or senseless, as Cicero's half-asleep man who could not collect himself.[3] More often it meant to be stunned, dazed or speechless with a strong emotion, to be astonished or bewildered, and with an accusative to marvel at something.[3][1]

Livy uses stupere animi, “to be dazed in mind”.[4] Its derivatives stupor and stupidus gave English stupor in the late 14th century and stupid in the 1540s.[6]

Timeline

  • 190–159 BC – Terence speaks of a mind numb with care.[4][5][7]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a man half asleep.[3][7]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses stupere animi.[4][7]
  • 1540s – English stupid comes from its derivative stupidus.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To be numb, paralysed; to be senseless.[3][1]
  2. To be stunned, dazed, astounded, bewildered.[3][1]
  3. (transitive) To be astonished at, wonder at.[1]

Word family

  • astupeō
  • circumstupeō
  • obstipēscō
  • stupefaciō
  • stupefio
  • stupēscō
  • stupidus
  • stupor
  • constupeō
  • īnstupeō
  • obstupefaciō
  • stupēns
  • stuprum
  • English stupid
  • English stupor

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de