causor Latin · revision 33515

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=220–130 BC, Pacuvius|origins=la causa}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [ˈkau̯.sɔr]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [ˈkaːu̯.sor]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''causor''' (present infinitive causārī, perfect active causātus sum); first conjugation, deponent^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|causa|-ō|t1=cause, reason, lawsuit]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL) De Vaan dates it from Pacuvius onwards, with the sense “to plead a cause”.^(de Vaan 2008) The origin of [[m|la|causa]], spelled ⟨caussa⟩ in inscriptions until the 1st century BC, is unclear: its /s/ between vowels comes from earlier /ss/, which points to an older double consonant or cluster, and Walde and Hofmann connected it with [[m|la|cūdō|t=to strike]], taking “a blow as cause” as the first meaning, while Ernout and Meillet doubted an Indo-European origin.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Pacuvius uses it in tragedy:^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) ''quī sēsē adfīnēs esse ad causandum volunt'', of people who want a part in pleading.^(OLD 2012) According to Nonius it meant to plead a cause or bring an action.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In early Latin (Pacuvius, Accius, Afranius) it meant to plead or argue a matter.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Cicero does not use it.^(Lewis & Short 1879) From the Augustan period it means to give something as a reason, often a pretended one: to plead ill-health, to allege an excuse.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Lucretius has ''quamvīs causandō multa morēris'', “however long you delay by raising objections”,^(OLD 2012) and Livy and Tacitus use it with ''valētūdinem'', “to plead ill-health”.^(Lewis & Short 1879) The jurist Papinian uses it with an infinitive, to excuse oneself from doing something,^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913) and Salvian uses it to mean to complain.^(Georges 1913) An active form ''causō'' is also found.^(Georges 1913)^(TLL)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 220–130 BC – Pacuvius, “to plead a cause”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius, “to raise objections”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it absolutely in the ''Eclogues''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 98–115 AD – Tacitus has it with ''valētūdinem'' and ''negōtia''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * before 212 AD – Papinian, to excuse oneself from doing something.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(early Latin)'' To [[m|en|plead]] a cause, argue a matter; to bring an action.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # To give as a reason or [[m|en|excuse]], allege; to [[m|en|pretext|alt=make a pretext of]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)

+ # ''(with an infinitive)'' To excuse oneself from doing something.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+ # ''(Late Latin)'' To complain.^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[causa]]

+ * [[accūsō]]

+ * [[excūsō]]

+ * [[incūsō]]

+ * [[recūsō]]

+ * [[en|cause]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}