transpiro

Forms

trānspīrō (present infinitive trānspīrāre, perfect active trānspīrāvī, supine trānspīrātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin trāns- (“across, through”) + spīrō (“to breathe”).^[1][2]

Semantic evolution

It is the source of French transpirer, German transpirieren, Spanish transpirar and Portuguese transpirar, and, as a semi-learned borrowing, of Italian traspirare.^[1] English transpire came from it through French, first meaning to pass off as vapour or as an exhalation from a body; the figurative sense “become known” followed in the 18th century.^[2] In Neo-Latin the noun trānspīrātiō was used for evaporation and perspiration through the pores.^[3]

Timeline

• 16th century – French has transpirer.^[2]
• 1590s – English borrows it from French as transpire, “pass off in the form of a vapour”.^[2]
• 1741 – English transpire is recorded in the figurative sense “leak out, become known”.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To transpire.^[1]

Word family

• trānspīrātiō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de