venio

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwɛ.ni.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɛː.ni.o]^[1]

Forms

veniō (present infinitive venīre, perfect active vēnī, supine ventum); fourth conjugation, impersonal in the passive^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *gʷn-je/o- (“to come”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *gʷm̥-ie/o- (“to come”), a present formed on the zero grade of Proto-Indo-European *gʷem- (“to step, come”).^[2][1] Cognate with Umbrian benust (“will have come”) and Oscan kúmbened, with initial /b/ from older /gʷ/.^[2] Further cognates are Sanskrit गच्छति (gácchati, “goes”), Ancient Greek βαίνω (baínō, “to go”), Gothic 𐌵𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (qiman, “to come”) and Old English cuman (“to come”).^[3][4][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Livius Andronicus uses it.^[2] Köbler dates Livius Andronicus 280/260–before 200 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It was the ordinary word for “come”, to a place, to a person, to court or to dinner, with a supine, an infinitive or ad for the purpose.^[3][4] It was used of plants coming up, of letters and sounds reaching someone, of times and events arriving, and of coming into a state: in mentem venīre was “to come to mind”.^[3] In law it meant to become entitled to property.^[3]

It survives as Italian venire, French venir, Spanish venir and Romanian veni.^[1] Its derivatives gave English event, revenue and venue.^[6]

Timeline

• 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it.^[2][5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses in mentem venīre “to come to mind”.^[3][5]
• c. 1300 – English venue is recorded, through Old French venue “coming”.^[6]
• early 15th century – English revenue is recorded, from revenīre “to come back”.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To come, arrive, reach (a place).^[3][4]
2. To be coming, approach.^[3][1]
3. To come (to do something), with a supine, infinitive or ad.^[3]
4. To appear in court; to come to dinner.^[3]
5. Of plants, to come up, grow.^[3]
6. To come to (a point in a speech or process); to have recourse to.^[3]
7. To come into a state: in mentem venīre, to come to mind.^[3]
8. (law) To become entitled (to property).^[3]
9. Of events and times, to happen, arrive, ventūrus, future.^[3]

Word family

• adinveniō
• adveniō
• anteveniō
• circumveniō
• contrāveniō
• conveniō
• dēveniō
• disconveniō
• ēveniō
• interveniō
• inveniō
• obveniō

Related words

• adventus
• eventus
• interventus
• inventus
• praeventus
• cōntiō
• English event
• English revenue
• English venue

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d 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 k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com