surgo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈsʊr.ɡoː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsur.ɡo]^[1]

Forms

surgō (present infinitive surgere, perfect active surrēxī, supine surrēctum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is a contracted form of subrigō, which is from Latin sub- + regō (“to direct, keep straight”).^[2][3][1] The verb is inherited from Proto-Italic *reg-e/o-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ-e/o-.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Livius Andronicus onwards.^[4] In Plautus someone says “get up, I'll sit there”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant to rise to one's feet, to get up from bed, as Cato's bailiff who must be first to rise and last to bed, and to rouse oneself to action, as Virgil's Etruria rising in just fury.^[2] Of heavenly bodies it meant to rise above the horizon, of mist and water to rise up, of buildings to rise, as Virgil's “happy those whose walls already rise”, and of plants to spring up.^[2]

It was used of the sea swelling, of winds freshening, and of circumstances or rumours developing, as Caelius' great rumour that arose.^[2] In Christian Latin its compound resurgere meant “to rise from the dead”.^[1][5] French sourdre “to rise” came from it, and through it English source and surge.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 280/260 – before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it.^[4][6]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of getting up.^[2][6]
• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of rising from bed.^[2][6]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of rising walls and winds.^[2][6]
• mid-14th century – English source is recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To rise, get up, stand up.^[2][1]
2. To get up (from bed).^[2][1]
3. To rise up (against), take action.^[2]
4. (of heavenly bodies) To rise.^[2]
5. (of mist, water) To rise up.^[2]
6. (of buildings) To rise; to tower.^[2]
7. (of plants) To spring up.^[2][1]
8. (of the sea, winds) To swell; to freshen.^[2]
9. (of events) To arise, develop.^[2][1]

Word family

• assurgō
• circumsurgō
• cōnsurgō
• dēsurgō
• exsurgō
• īnsurgō
• praesurgo
• resurgō
• subrēctus
• prōsurgō

Related words

• rego
• English source
• English surge

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de