transpiro
This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 24 October 2026 at 15:57. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Pronunciation
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
Word family
- trānspīrātiō
References
- ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de