incumbo Latin · revision 30849

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=c. 180–102 BC, Lucilius|origins=la in-, la cubō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [ɪŋˈkʊm.boː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [iŋˈkum.bo]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''incumbō''' (present infinitive incumbere, perfect active incubuī, supine incubitum); third conjugation, no passive^(Wiktionary)

+ Its perfect ''incubuī'' has the same form as the perfect of [[incubō]] “to lie on”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from [[m|la|in-|t=on, upon]] and ⟨*cumbō⟩, a nasal present of [[m|la|cubō|t=to lie down]] that is found only in compounds such as [[m|la|accumbō]], [[m|la|dēcumbō]] and [[m|la|prōcumbō]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Lucilius asks whether a man should hang himself or fall on his sword (''in gladium incumbat'').^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Physically it is to lean or bend over, to throw oneself down on something, as Ovid's Niobe falls on her children's bodies, and to lean on something for support (Livy: soldiers leaning on their shields held off the Romans).^(OLD 2012) With force it is to press on, as the Roman line pressed on the enemy with its weight, and to fall on one's sword; of things it is to weigh on, and of duties to fall on someone (Ulpian).^(OLD 2012) Natural forces and misfortunes ''incumbunt'' when they fall violently on a place or a people, as Curtius' sea that bears down on the shore.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Its most common figurative sense is to apply oneself vigorously to something, as Cicero urges his hearers to throw themselves into the study of oratory, and Virgil's bees all set about repairing their ruined race.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Church Latin glosses it “recline, lean on, apply to”.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius of falling on a sword.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius of trees pressing on one another in the wind.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of applying oneself to study.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of leaning on shields and pressing on the enemy.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To lean or bend over; to throw oneself down (on).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # To lean (on) for support, [[m|en|recline]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To press (on), bear down; to fall (on a sword); ''(of duties)'' to fall (on).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(of natural forces, misfortunes)'' To fall violently (on).^(OLD 2012)

+ # To apply oneself, [[m|en|devote]] oneself (to).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[incumba]]

+ * [[superincumbō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cubō]]

+ * [[incubō]]

+ * [[accumbō]]

+ * [[prōcumbō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}