Etymologically
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volvo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈwɔɫ.woː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɔl.vo][1]

Forms

volvō (present infinitive volvere, perfect active volvī, supine volūtum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *welu-e/o-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *uel-u- (“to wind”).[2][1] The long /ū/ of volūmen and volūbilis is a productive lengthening in derivatives.[2]

Cognate with Old Irish fillid (“bends”), Ancient Greek εἰλύω (eilúō, “to wind round”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌻𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (walwjan, “to roll”) and Welsh olwyn (“wheel”).[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Naevius onwards.[2] Accius writes of a mass driving the waves before it.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant to roll or cause something to turn, as Lucretius' river that rolls great stones and Sallust's townsmen rolling rocks down on the attackers.[3][5] It was used of rolling waves, billowing smoke, and the eyes darting here and there, as Dido's in Virgil.[3] It meant to make the heavens or the seasons revolve, and to bring events round in due course.[3]

Because books were scrolls, it meant to unroll and read a book, as Cicero's “Cato's books must be read”, to reel off words, and to turn something over in the mind, as in Catullus and Sallust.[3] Its derivative volūmen “a roll of papyrus” gave English volume in the late 14th century, and revolvere gave revolve.[2][6]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.[2][7]
  • 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses it of waves.[3][7]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of a river rolling stones.[5][7]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of reading books.[3][7]
  • late 14th century – English volume comes from its derivative volumen.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To roll, turn, cause to revolve.[3][1]
  2. To bring round (seasons, events).[3]
  3. To roll over, overthrow.[3]
  4. To roll up, gather by rolling.[3]
  5. (of liquids, smoke, flames) To roll, billow.[3]
  6. To turn (the eyes) restlessly.[3]
  7. To unroll (a book), read.[3]
  8. To reel off (words).[3]
  9. To turn over in the mind, ponder.[3]

Word family

  • volūmen
  • volūbilis
  • volūtō
  • convolvō
  • ēvolvō
  • involvō
  • revolvō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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 o p q Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de