congressus Latin · revision 4148

15 Oct 2026, 21:12 by bogdan “New Latin entry (sources: de Vaan, OLD, Lewis & Short, TLL...)” current version
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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Cicero|origins=la gradior}}
+ 
+ ==Forms==
+ '''congressus''' ''m'' (genitive congressūs); fourth declension^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is [[af|la|congredior|-tus|t1=to meet]], an action noun.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) ''Congredior'' is from [[con-]] and [[gradior]] “to step”.^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ Köbler's first source is Cicero, who says of Vatinius that nobody thinks him worth meeting or approaching.^(Köbler 2010)^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^(Köbler 2010)
+ 
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ It meant a coming together in a friendly or hostile way.^(Lewis & Short 1879) As a friendly meeting it was an encounter, interview or conference, often contrasted by Cicero with ''digressus'' “parting”, then social intercourse and companionship.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Lucretius uses it of the coming together of matter, and Cicero of an agreement made by meeting.^(OLD 2012)
+ 
+ As a hostile meeting it was an engagement with an enemy, as Cicero's comparison with the gladiatorial combat of life.^(OLD 2012) Gaffiot also gives the sense of sexual intercourse.^(Gaffiot 2016) Medieval Latin kept the senses of meeting, clash and battle, and British sources used it of a voyage.^(MLW)^(DMLBS) English ''congress'' is recorded about 1400, and in the sense of a meeting of people from the 1520s.^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of the meeting of matter.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of meetings and of combat.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of social intercourse.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * c. 1400 – English ''congress'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Noun===
+ # A [[m|en|meeting]], encounter, interview.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)
+ # Social intercourse, companionship.^(OLD 2012)
+ # A coming together, union.^(OLD 2012)
+ # An agreement.^(OLD 2012)
+ # A hostile encounter, an [[m|en|engagement]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)
+ # Sexual [[m|en|intercourse]].^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[congredior]]
+ * [[en|congress]]
+ 
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}