creo Latin · revision 747

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈkre.oː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkrɛː.o]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''creō''' (present infinitive creāre, perfect active creāvī, supine creātum); first conjugation^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It goes back to [[itc-pro|*krē-jā-]] and is related to [[cresco|alt=crēscō]] “to grow” and [[creber|alt=crēber]] “dense”, from the root [[ine-pro|*ḱer-|t=to grow]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) De Vaan takes the original meaning to be “to make grow”, still seen in Cato.^(de Vaan 2008) Walde and Hofmann explained it as a denominative from a noun *krējā; a later proposal derives it inside Latin as a causative made to ''crēscō'', which de Vaan finds too far-fetched.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found from Plautus onwards,^(de Vaan 2008) who uses it in the sense “to cause, bring about”, as of giving pleasure to one's enemies.^(OLD 2012) Cato still uses it of manure that makes grass grow.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The verb meant to beget and give birth, with the passive “to be born of”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Lucretius and Cicero used it of nature or a god bringing things into being, and it was extended to instituting offices and conceiving ideas.^(OLD 2012) A political sense was frequent: to elect or appoint a magistrate, said both of the voters and of the official holding the election.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ Christian writers gave it the sense of creating out of nothing, and Augustine distinguishes it from ''gignere'' “to beget”.^(TLL)^(Wiktionary) From it came ''[[creator]]'' and ''[[creatura]]'', and through French it gave [[en|create]] and [[en|creature]].^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for causing a state of affairs.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of manure that makes grass grow.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius states that nothing can be created from nothing.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it for electing consuls.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 354–430 AD – Augustine explains it as making, not begetting.^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|beget]], give birth to, or (in the passive) to be born, spring from.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # To bring into being, [[m|en|create]]; to institute (an office), conceive (an idea).^(OLD 2012)

+ # To make grow, produce (plants, tissue).^(OLD 2012)

+ # To cause, bring about.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To [[m|en|elect]], appoint (a magistrate).^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' To create out of nothing.^(TLL)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[concreō]]

+ * [[creābilis]]

+ * [[creāmen]]

+ * [[creātiō]]

+ * [[creātor]]

+ * [[creātrīx]]

+ * [[creātūra]]

+ * [[increatus]]

+ * [[prōcreō]]

+ * [[recreō]]

+ * [[supercreatus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Cerēs]]

+ * [[procērus]]

+ * [[crēscō]]

+ * [[crēber]]

+ * [[en|create]]

+ * [[en|creole]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}