Etymologically
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supersedeo

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [sʊ.pɛrˈsɛ.de.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [su.perˈsɛː.de.o][1]

Forms

supersedeō (present infinitive supersedēre, perfect active supersēdī, supine supersessum); second conjugation[1] It is also spelled supersideō.[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin super- (“above, over”) + sedeō (“to sit”).[2][1] De Vaan derives sedeō from Proto-Italic *sed-ē- (“to be seated”) and Proto-Indo-European *sed-eh₁- (“to be seated”), a stative present; cognates of the root include Old Irish saidid (“to sit”), Ancient Greek ἕζομαι (hézomai, “to sit down”) and Lithuanian sėdė́ti (“to sit”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first example is in Plautus,[2][4] whose Poenulus has supersede istis verbis, “leave off those words”.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

Its literal sense, to sit on top of something, is very rare and not found in Cicero or Caesar: Suetonius uses it of an eagle perching on a tent and of a Roman knight riding an elephant, and Apuleius of an asp sitting on a handle.[2][5] Georges also gives the sense to preside over, citing Cato.[6] Its usual meaning from Plautus on is to refrain or desist from something, to spare oneself it: Cicero writes of sparing someone the labour of a journey, the Bellum Africum of declining battle, and Livy of tribute and the levy being dispensed with.[2][6] In the Res gestae Augustus says that he declined further triumphs the senate decreed him.[2][6] With an infinitive it means to forbear doing something, from Sisenna and Livy on.[2] In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to sit upon, leave off, omit or refrain.[7] English took supersede from it in the mid-15th century, first in the sense to postpone or defer, and surcease came from it through Anglo-French and Old French.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it in the sense to leave off.[2][4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it, according to Georges, of presiding over disputes.[6][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of sparing someone a journey.[2][4]
  • c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius uses it of an eagle perching on a tent.[2][4]
  • mid-15th century – English borrows it as supersede.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To sit on top of, perch on.[2][5]
  2. To preside over.[6][1]
  3. To refrain or desist from, abstain from, forgo; to spare oneself something.[2][5]
  4. (with infinitive) To forbear doing something.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ 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 e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com