Etymologically
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suppono

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 14:21. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [sʊpˈpoː.noː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [supˈpɔː.no][1]

Forms

suppōnō (present infinitive suppōnere, perfect active supposuī or supposīvī, supine suppositum or suppostum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from sub- “under” and pōnō “to put”.[2][1][3] Plautus and Terence have the perfect ⟨supposīvī⟩, and Virgil the participle ⟨suppostus⟩.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of substitution and of supposititious children, and Cato, of placing beneath.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to put under, as in Cato and Cicero's duck eggs set under hens, in Ovid terrae suppōnere to bury, and to place beneath to support.[2][6] In Ovid it meant to apply from below, especially fire, and a suppository, to subject to the mind, and to place under someone's authority.[2] In Cicero it meant to expose to a hazard, to place under a heading, and to append in writing.[2] From Plautus it meant to substitute, and in Terence to introduce fraudulently, especially a supposititious child.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to put under, substitute, falsify, forge, suppose, presuppose.[7] It survives in Italian supporre, French supposer and Spanish suponer, and Old French suposer gave English suppose about 1300.[1][3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of substitution.[2][5]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of placing beneath.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of setting eggs under hens.[6][5]
  • c. 1300 – English suppose is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To put under; to bury; to place beneath as support.[2]
  2. To apply from below; to apply as a suppository.[2]
  3. To set under (eggs, young); to subject to.[2]
  4. To make subject; to expose; to subordinate.[2]
  5. To append.[2]
  6. To substitute.[2]
  7. To introduce fraudulently; to pass off (a child).[2]
  8. (Ecclesiastical Latin) To suppose, presuppose.[7]

Word family

  • suppositīcius
  • suppositiō
  • suppositorius
  • suppostor
  • suppostrix
  • suppositōrium

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 o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  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. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson