Etymologically
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submitto

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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

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