supergredior

Forms

supergredior (present infinitive supergredī, perfect active supergressus sum); third (-iō variant) conjugation, deponent^[1] Pliny the Elder has the form supergradior.^[2][3] The participle supergressus is used in a passive sense by Palladius and Ammianus Marcellinus.^[4][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin super- + gradior (“to step, walk”).^[2][1][5] De Vaan traces gradior to Proto-Italic *grad-(e)i- and Proto-Indo-European *g(h)rd(h)-(e)i-.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest citation in the OLD is in Livy, of crossing hills and pitching camp: supergressi tumulos posuerunt castra.^[2][3] Lewis & Short call it post-Augustan.^[7]

Semantic evolution

In the literal sense of stepping or passing over, Curtius uses it of crossing the ruins of fortifications, Columella of a height a suckling pig cannot get over, and Pliny the Elder of a goat stepping over another lying down.^[2] Suetonius uses it of a flame rising above the roof of a temple.^[2][8]

Figuratively it meant to go beyond a limit or to surpass others:^[2] Valerius Maximus uses it of a man who passed the usual span of human life,^[2][3] Tacitus of a wealth and magnificence beyond a private citizen's measure,^[2] and Quintilian of a mother who surpassed all praise.^[2][8] Seneca uses it of rising above the influence of chance and necessity.^[2][8] Ecclesiastical Latin uses it for “surpass, exceed, overstep”.^[9]

Timeline

• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of crossing hills.^[2][10]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of rising above chance and necessity.^[2][10]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of a goat stepping over another.^[2][10]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of surpassing all praise.^[2][10]
• c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius uses it of a flame rising above a temple.^[2][10]

Meanings

Verb

1. To pass or step over or beyond; to cross.^[2][7]
2. To go beyond a limit, exceed; to surpass, excel.^[2][8]
3. To rise above the influence of circumstances, overcome.^[2][8]

Word family

• supergressus

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 o p q r Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
7. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b c d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
9. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
10. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de