sublevo

Forms

sublevō (present infinitive sublevāre, perfect active sublevāvī, supine sublevātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from sub- (“from below”) and levō (“to lift, lighten”).^[2][1] ⟨levō⟩ is made from levis (“light”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *leχu- and Proto-Indo-European *h₁legʷʰ-u- (“light”), cognate with Sanskrit रघु (raghú-, “fleet, fast”), Ancient Greek ἐλαχύς (elakhús, “small”) and Lithuanian leñgvas (“light”).^[1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Early examples are in the Rhetorica ad Herennium, of a man who propped his chin on his left hand, and in Cicero, of clients helped by advice and influence.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

It is to lift or help to rise, as Caesar's elks that cannot raise themselves once fallen, and his soldiers helped up the ascent; it is to hold up or support, as Pliny the Elder's bees carrying their tired king on their shoulders, and with sē to get up.^[2][4] Frontinus uses it of arches raised to a height, and Terentianus Maurus of raising the voice.^[2]

Figuratively it is to help a person or state with support, to back up or encourage, and to further an activity.^[2][4][1] It is also to make easier or alleviate, as Varro's Appius who lightened your part, to allay fears, as Tacitus' flattery that eased fear, and to make up for a fault, as in Cicero.^[2][1] Church Latin glosses it “exalt, lift or raise up, support, sustain, console”,^[5] and the Vulgate has sublevāre oculōs, to raise the eyes.^[4]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero of clients supported by patrons.^[2][6]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar of elks and soldiers.^[2][6]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus of fear allayed.^[2][6]
• 390–406 AD – The Vulgate of raising the eyes.^[4][6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To lift up, raise, hold up, support;^[2][4][1][5] (reflexive) to get up.^[2]
2. To help, sustain, encourage; to further.^[2][4][1][5]
3. To lighten, alleviate; to allay; to make up for.^[2][1]
4. (Ecclesiastical Latin) To exalt; to console.^[5]

Related words

• levō
• levis
• relevō
• ēlevō
• allevō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ 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 d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de