subveho

Forms

subvehō (present infinitive subvehere, perfect active subvē̆xī, supine subvectum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin sub- + vehō (“to carry”).^[2][1] De Vaan traces vehō to Proto-Italic *weχ-e/o- and Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to carry”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lucretius uses it of a current of air that carries an orb upward.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It is to carry up from below, and in the passive to move upward.^[2] More often it is to bring supplies to a place thought of as higher, especially upstream: Caesar has grain brought up the Arar by ship.^[2] In the passive it is to sail upstream, as in Virgil's overcoming a river with oars.^[2] Lewis & Short note that it is not frequent until after Augustus and is not used by Cicero.^[4] Church Latin glosses it to bring up from below.^[5]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius of air carrying an orb upward.^[2]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar of grain brought upstream.^[2][6]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil of rowing upstream.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To carry up, convey upward.^[2][4][1][5]
2. To bring (supplies) to a place, especially upstream;^[2][4][1] (passive) to sail upstream.^[2][4][1]

Related words

• vehō
• subvectiō

References

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