submitto

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [sʊmˈmɪt.toː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [subˈmit.to]^[1]

Forms

submittō (present infinitive submittere, perfect active submīsī, supine submissum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from sub- “under, up from below” and mittō “to send, let go”.^[2][3] It is also spelled ⟨summittō⟩.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Varro, of rearing animals.^[2] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to let plants or hair grow, to rear animals, and in Lucretius of the earth to send up plants and to emit light.^[2] It meant to send help, reinforcements, as in Caesar, and in Cicero to send secretly.^[2] From Lucretius it meant to lower, let down, and in Catullus to bend the knee in submission, and to lower the fasces before the people.^[2] In Cicero it meant to lower the voice or soften one's language, and to lower oneself, condescend.^[2] From Livy it meant to make subject, and reflexively to submit, bow down, as in Ovid.^[2] In Cicero it meant to send as a replacement.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to let down, lower, reduce, substitute, submit, dispatch.^[6] English submit came in the late 14th century, “to place oneself under another's control”.^[3]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of rearing animals.^[2][5]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of lowering and of sending up plants.^[2][5]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of sending reinforcements.^[2][5]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of making subject.^[2][5]
• late 14th century – English submit is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To let grow; to rear (animals).^[2]
2. To send up, put forth; to emit.^[2]
3. To send as help, reinforce; to send secretly.^[2]
4. To lower, let down; to bow in submission.^[2]
5. To lower (the voice); to moderate; to play down.^[2]
6. To make subject; to submit, yield.^[2]
7. To lower oneself, condescend.^[2]
8. To send as a replacement.^[2]

Word family

• submissim
• submissiō
• submissus

Related words

• mittō
• English submit
• English submission

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson