Etymologically
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super

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈsʊ.pɛr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsuː.per][1]

Forms

super (+ accusative, ablative)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *super, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *upér (“over, above”).[2][1][3] The initial ⟨s-⟩, which the other languages lack, was added in Italic as in sub.[2]

Cognate with Umbrian super (“on top”), Oscan supruis (“upper”), Ancient Greek ὑπέρ (hupér), Sanskrit उपरि (upári) and Gothic 𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂 (ufar).[2][4][5][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus,[2] who has teneō quid animī vostrī super hāc rē siet, “I know what you think about this matter”.[4] Köbler cites it from the Twelve Tables and Cato.[3]

Semantic evolution

With the accusative it is “over, above”, “on top of”, “over (a surface or area)”, “beyond” in space, “hard on the heels of” in time (vulnus super vulnus “wound upon wound”), “besides, in addition to”, “more than” (super omnia “above all”) and “in charge of”.[4][5][1] With the ablative it is “on, over” and, very commonly, “about, concerning” a subject.[4][1] As an adverb it means “above, on top”, “besides, moreover” and “left over”;[4][5][6] satis superque is “enough and more than enough”.[4][5][6]

In Medieval Latin, with either case, it also means “near”, “during”, “over” (of power) and “about, towards”.[7] English super “excellent” (1837) comes from the prefix super-.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: super hāc rē;[4][3] sāvia super sāvia, “kisses upon kisses”.[4][3]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it as an adverb, “above”.[4][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero: satis superque dīxisse videor, “I think I have said more than enough”.[4][3]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil: tē super omnia dōna ūnum ōrō, “one thing I ask of you above all gifts”.[4][3]
  • 1837 – English super.[8]

Meanings

Preposition

  1. (with accusative) over, above; on top of.[4][5][1][6]
  2. (with accusative) Over (a surface or area); beyond.[4][1]
  3. (with accusative) Hard on the heels of;[4] alius super alium, one after another.[4]
  4. (with accusative) In addition to, besides.[4][1][6]
  5. (with accusative) More than, beyond;[4][1] super omnia, above all.[4][1]
  6. (with accusative) In charge of.[4]
  7. (with ablative) On, over; at (a time), during.[4][6]
  8. (with ablative) About, concerning.[4][1][7]

Adverb

  1. Above, on top.[4][5][1]
  2. Besides, moreover.[4][1][6]
  3. Left over, remaining.[4]
  4. satis superque, enough and to spare.[4][6]

Word family

Usage notes

Cato has a masculine adjective super, a form of superus “upper”; the OLD and Lewis and Short list it separately.[2][4][5] In manuscripts and editions super is often confused with suprā.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com