Etymologically
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tum

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈtũː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtum][1]

Forms

tum (not comparable)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *tom, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *tóm, the accusative singular masculine of the demonstrative *só (“that”).[2][1][3] It is the correlative of cum (old ⟨quom⟩), as the feminine tam is of quam.[3][1] The emphatic tunc comes from ⟨*tom-ḱe⟩, with the particle “-ce”.[2]

Compare Avestan təm.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Livius Andronicus on.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Tum means “then, at that time”, of the past, the future or any time; it also means “next, thereupon” and, of a supposed case, “in that event”.[3][5][6] It answers cum (cum … tum “both … and especially”), and tum … tum means “at one time … at another”.[3][5][6]

It is often used to add a further item, “further, besides”.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 280–200 BC – First found in Livius Andronicus.[2][4]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ita tum cōnfulgēbant “so bright were they then”.[3][4]
  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius has the emphatic tunc.[2][4]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. then, at that time (past or future).[3][5]
  2. Then, next, thereupon.[1][6]
  3. In that case, then.[3]
  4. cum … tum, both … and especially;[6][3] tum … tum, at one time … at another.[6][3]
  5. Further, besides.[1]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d e Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson