involutus Latin · revision 36869

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=81–43 BC, Cicero|origins=ine-pro *uel-u-}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''involūtus''' (feminine involūta, neuter involūtum, superlative involūtissimus); first/second-declension adjective^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[der|la|involvō|t=to roll up, wrap]], its perfect participle used as an adjective.^(OLD 2012)^(Conte 2010) The verb is formed from [[m|la|in-]] and [[m|la|volvō|t=to roll]], which de Vaan traces to [[itc-pro|*welu-e/o-]] and [[ine-pro|*uel-u-|t=to wind]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler dates the adjective from Cicero,^(Köbler 2010) who speaks of making obscure matters plain by defining them, ''rēs involūtās dēfīniendō explicāre''.^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Besides the senses of the verb, “wrapped, covered”, the OLD sets out the figurative sense “obscure, hidden”.^(OLD 2012) Seneca calls an obscure kind of eloquence ''involūta'', calls one question the most obscure of all, and uses the word of gods who are veiled and not known.^(Georges 1913)^(Conte 2010)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ The participle passed into Italian as [[m|it|involuto]],^(Conte 2010) and English took ''involute'' from it in the early 15th century, first meaning “wrapped”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of obscure matters.^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of veiled gods and uses the superlative.^(Conte 2010)^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * early 15th century – English borrows it as ''involute''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Wrapped, covered (in the senses of [[involvō]]).^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Not plain, [[m|en|obscure]], hidden;^(OLD 2012)^(Conte 2010) ''(of gods)'' veiled, unknown.^(OLD 2012)^(Conte 2010)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[involvō]]

+ * [[volvō]]

+ * [[en|involute]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}