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suggero

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈsʊɡ.ɡɛ.roː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsud.d͡ʒe.ro][1]

Forms

suggerō (present infinitive suggerere, perfect active suggessī, supine suggestum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from sub- “under, up” and gerō “to carry”.[2][1][3] It is also spelled ⟨subgerō⟩.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Terence, of supplying.[2] Köbler dates Terence 190–159 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

Its literal sense was to put under, as Virgil's flame put under a cauldron, then to pile up, build high.[3][5][2] It meant to append in a list, as in Livy, and to supply whenever needed, of materials and in Cicero of words and ideas, and lūdum suggerere was apparently to fall in with someone's wishes.[2] From Quintilian it meant to suggest as possible, and in Ulpian to hint at an answer or put a point forward.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to add, bring to mind, suggest, advise.[6] English suggest came in the 1520s from its participle suggestus.[7]

Timeline

  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of supplying.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of supplying words.[2][4]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of piling up and of putting under.[2][3][4]
  • 1520s – English suggest is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To put under.[3]
  2. To pile up; to build high.[2]
  3. To append, add.[2]
  4. To supply, furnish; to supply words or ideas.[2]
  5. To suggest; to hint at.[2]
  6. To put forward for consideration.[2]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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 d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com