absum Latin · revision 17884

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=ine-pro *h₁es-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈap.sũː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈab.sum]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''absum''' (present infinitive abesse, perfect active āfuī, future active participle āfutūrus); irregular conjugation, suppletive, no passive, no supine stem except in the future active participle, no gerund^(Wiktionary)

+ It is also spelled ''apsum''.^(OLD 2012)

+ Cato has the subjunctive ''absiet''.^(OLD 2012)

+ The perfect is ''āfuī'', better than ''abfuī''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|la|ab-|sum|t2=to be]], “to be away from”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan lists it among the compounds of [[m|la|sum]], which he traces to [[ine-pro|*h₁es-|t=to be]].^(de Vaan 2008) The TLL compares [[grc|ἄπειμι|tr=ápeimi]].^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan lists ''abesse'' among the oldest compounds of ''sum''.^(de Vaan 2008) Plautus asks ''quid agat, sī apsīs longius?'', “what is he to do if you are farther away?”, and Cato gives distances with it.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Abesse'' is “to be away, absent” (euphemistically, of exile), of things “to be missing”, and “to stay away from, take no part in”; of advocates it is to fail to support a client.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It gives distance in space and time, “to be (so far) away”.^(OLD 2012) Figuratively it means “to be far removed from” a condition or course of action, as in ''procul absit'' “God forbid!”, and ''nōn multum abest quīn'' “it is not far from”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ Church Latin uses it for “to be absent, be away”.^(Stelten 1995) Its present participle is ''[[absēns]]'' “absent”.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato: ''nōn minus XV mīlia Aniēn abest'', “the Anio is at least fifteen miles away”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''sī apsīs longius''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of his own exile.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 50 BC – Caesar gives the distance between Ariovistus' forces and his own: ''mīlibus passuum quattuor et XX abesse''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To be [[m|en|absent]], be away; to be missing.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # To stay away (from), take no part (in); to fail to support.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To be [[m|en|distant]] (in space or time).^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be far removed (from a condition or course of action);^(OLD 2012) ''procul absit'', God forbid!^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''nōn multum abest quīn'', it is not far from (happening).^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[absentia]]

+ * [[absentō]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Döderlein distinguishes ''abesse'', absence from a place, from ''[[dēsum|alt=dēesse]]'', absence that leaves something incomplete, “to be wanting”.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}