substituo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [sʊpˈstɪ.tu.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [subˈstiː.tu.o]^[1]

Forms

substituō (present infinitive substituere, perfect active substituī, supine substitūtum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from sub- “under, in place of” and statuō “to set up”.^[2][1][3] Inscriptions have ⟨sups-⟩.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation for substitution is from Columella.^[2] Köbler dates Columella in the 1st century AD.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to put in the rear as a reserve, as with troops behind elephants, and in Seneca to place before the mind.^[2] In Quintilian it meant to make answerable to a charge or subject to an authority.^[2] From Columella it meant to put in place of another, substitute, and in Quintilian in law to name a substitute heir, who inherits if the first cannot.^[2] Lewis and Short call the sense “to place under” rare and mostly post-Augustan, as in Palladius.^[5][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to put or place under, substitute.^[7] It survives in Italian sostituire and French substituer, and its participle substitūtus gave English substitute in the early 15th century.^[1][3]

Timeline

• 1st century AD – Columella uses it of substituting.^[2][4]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of placing before the mind.^[2][4]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of a substitute heir.^[2][4]
• early 15th century – English substitute is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To place in reserve; to place under.^[2][5]
2. To lay before the mind.^[2]
3. To make answerable; to make subject.^[2]
4. To substitute.^[2]
5. (law) To name a substitute heir.^[2]

Word family

• substitūtiō
• substitutiuus
• substitūtus

Related words

• statuō
• English substitute

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson