commeatus Latin · revision 30663

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=ine-pro *h₂mey-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [kɔm.meˈaː.tʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [kom.meˈaː.tus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''commeātus''' ''m'' (genitive commeātūs); fourth declension^(Wiktionary)

+ It is also spelled ''conmeātus''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ The ''Bellum Africum'' has the dative ''commeātuī'', the ''Bellum Alexandrinum'' ''commeātū''.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|la|commeō|-tus|t1=to go back and forth]], an action noun.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) [[m|la|commeō]] is [[m|la|con-]] with [[m|la|meō|t=to go, pass]], which de Vaan traces to [[itc-pro|*mejo-]] and [[ine-pro|*h₂mey-|t=to change, exchange]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) who uses it for a passage: ''perfōdī parietem quā commeātus clam esset hinc hūc mulierī'', “I dug through the wall so that the woman could secretly pass from there to here”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Commeātus'' is first a coming and going, a free passage.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) From the traffic of supplies it came to mean a convoy of ships or wagons (Caesar), the goods carried, a cargo (Livy), and above all supplies and provisions, especially for an army (Plautus).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) It is also leave of absence from duty, a furlough (Cicero: he stayed on leave at Syracuse).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ In medieval Latin it kept the sense “leave”, and also meant a respite from martyrdom and a dismissal.^(Niermeyer 1976) English [[m|en|congee]] (mid-14th century), “leave to depart”, comes from its medieval sense through Old French ''congié''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''quā commeātus clam esset''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero: ''in commeātū Syrācūsīs remānserit''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 50 BC – Caesar of convoys that could not reach the camp.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * mid-14th century – English [[m|en|congee]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Coming and going, passage.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # A [[m|en|convoy]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Goods, cargo.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Supplies, [[m|en|provisions]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Leave of absence, [[m|en|furlough]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Niermeyer 1976)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A respite (from martyrdom); dismissal.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[commeatalis]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[commeō]]

+ * [[meō]]

+ * [[meātus]]

+ * [[en|congee]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}