transverto

Forms

trānsvertō (present infinitive trānsvertere, perfect active trānsvertī, supine trānsversum); third conjugation^[1] Also spelled trāvertō.^[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin trāns- (“across”) + vertō (“to turn”).^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first example is an inscription (CIL 10.4842), where it means “divert” from one place to another;^[2] Pliny the Elder uses the passive of a country turned towards a river.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Lewis & Short call it post-classical: Apuleius says that what had been a defence was turned into an accusation, and Firmicus Maternus uses it for turning plans this way and that.^[4] In Ecclesiastical Latin it means “overturn, avert, lure away, change”.^[5] English has the rare transvert from it.^[1]

Timeline

• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it in the Natural History.^[2][3]
• c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses it for “convert” in his Apology.^[4][3]
• 343/350 AD – Firmicus Maternus uses it in his book on astrology.^[4][3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To divert from one place or purpose to another.^[2]
2. (passive) To be turned across, run towards.^[2]
3. To turn, convert into something else.^[4][5]
4. To turn away, avert; to lead astray.^[5][1]

Word family

• trānsversim
• trānsversus

Related words

• trānsversē
• trānsversum

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson