Etymologically
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vario

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 13:19. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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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

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