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sumo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word sumo

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Naevius
Ultimate origin
Latin (emō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈsuː.moː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsuː.mo][1]

Forms

sūmō (present infinitive sūmere, perfect active sūmpsī or surēmī or surēmpsī, supine sūmptum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from *subs- (sub-) and emō “to take”, with an excrescent ⟨p⟩ in ⟨sūmpsī⟩ and ⟨sūmptum⟩.[2][1][3] Emō goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (“to take”).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Naevius, who has the perfect infinitive sūmpse.[2][4] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to take up, take in hand, as Cicero's vase, to take up arms, to put on clothes, as in Plautus, and to take food or medicine, as in Cato.[2][3] It meant to take possession of, take a rest or an opportunity, to get money from a source, borrow, and to exact punishment.[2] It meant to spend money or time, to pick on someone for a duty, to adopt a child, to adopt an opinion or borrow ideas, and to assume a quality or a tone, as in Cicero.[2] With sibi it meant to take on a task or claim a virtue, and in logic to assume a premiss.[2] Döderlein says sūmere is to take up in order to use, capiō to seize in order to possess.[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to take, assume, obtain, consume.[7] It survives in Spanish and Portuguese sumir.[1] English assume and English consume come from its compounds assūmere and cōnsūmere, and English consumption from cōnsūmptiō.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it of taking up.[2][5]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of taking food.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of assuming qualities and premisses.[2][5]
  • late 14th century – English consume is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To take up; to put on (clothes).[2]
  2. To take (food, medicine).[2]
  3. To take possession of; to borrow.[2]
  4. To spend (money, time).[2]
  5. To choose; to adopt.[2]
  6. To assume (a quality, a premiss).[2]
  7. sibi sūmere, to take upon oneself; to claim.[2]

Word family

  • absūmō
  • assūmō
  • cōnsūmō
  • dēsūmō
  • īnsūmō
  • praesūmō
  • resūmō
  • sumptiō
  • sumptitō
  • sūmptus
  • trānsūmō
  • adsūmō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Sumo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/sumo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·