vario

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwa.ri.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvaː.ri.o]^[1]

Forms

variō (present infinitive variāre, perfect active variāvī, supine variātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from varius “various, variegated” with the verb suffix -ō.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Lucretius, of varying colours and of altering things, and Varro, of diversifying speech.^[2] Köbler dates Lucretius 96–55 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to mark with contrasting colours, variegate, as Lucretius' atoms that variant colōrēs, and of ripening fruit to change colour.^[2][3] It meant to give variety to speech, as Cicero's vōcem variāre “to vary the voice”, to alter, vary, transform.^[2][5] From Livy it meant of authorities to give divergent accounts, of opinions or votes to be divided, and of circumstances to fluctuate.^[2] In Virgil it meant to waver, change one's mind, and to alternate.^[2] Döderlein explains that varius is what has differences within itself, dīversus what differs from something else.^[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to change, alter, vary.^[7] English vary came in the late 14th century through Old French variier.^[8]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of varying colours.^[2][3][4]
• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of diversifying speech.^[2][4]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of divergent accounts.^[2][4]
• late 14th century – English vary is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To variegate; to change colour.^[2]
2. To diversify.^[2]
3. To alter, vary; to transform.^[2]
4. To differ, be divided; to give divergent accounts.^[2]
5. To fluctuate; to waver.^[2]
6. To alternate.^[2]

Word family

• convariō
• variābilis
• variātim
• variātiō
• variātus

Related words

• variānus
• variē
• variegō
• varietās
• varius
• English vary
• English variation

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com