serpo Latin · revision 8125

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Lucilius|origins=ine-pro *sérpeti}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈsɛr.poː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsɛr.po]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''serpō''' (present infinitive serpere, perfect active serpsī, supine serptum); third conjugation, no passive^(Wiktionary)

+ Festus reports an old form ''serpsit'' for ''serpserit''.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*serpe/o-]], [[inh|ine-pro|*sérpeti|t=to creep]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Cognate with [[sa|सर्पति|tr=sárpati|t=to creep, crawl]], [[grc|ἕρπω|tr=hérpō|t=to creep]] and [[sq|gjarpër|t=snake]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan's first attestation is Lucilius, whom Köbler dates c. 180–102 BC.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) The OLD's earliest citations are from Cicero.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant to crawl, creep, as a snake, in Cicero, and to wind like a snake.^(OLD 2012) In Varro it meant to spread gradually, and Cicero and Pliny the Elder used it of plants, Lucretius and Livy of fire.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Lewis and Short note that it is used literally only of animals, while ''rēpere'' is also used of people moving slowly.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Döderlein explains ''serpere'' as moving without feet, by twisting the body, ''rēpere'' as creeping with small feet and short steps.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to creep, crawl.^(Stelten 1995) Its participle ''serpēns'' became the word for a snake, and gave [[en|serpent]] through Old French about 1300.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of crawling and winding.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of spreading gradually.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 1300 – English ''serpent'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|crawl]], [[m|en|creep]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # To wind.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To spread gradually, creep on.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dēserpō]]

+ * [[disserpō]]

+ * [[īnserpō]]

+ * [[perserpō]]

+ * [[prōserpō]]

+ * [[serpēdō]]

+ * [[serpentāria]]

+ * [[serpentifōrmis]]

+ * [[serpentigena]]

+ * [[serpentīnus]]

+ * [[serpentipēs]]

+ * [[serpula]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[serpēns]]

+ * [[rēpō]]

+ * [[en|serpent]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Döderlein distinguishes it from [[rēpō]].^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}