cupio

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *kupiō, from a Proto-Indo-European root akin to *kwep- (to smoke, boil, move violently); see also Lithuanian kūpėti (to boil over), Old Church Slavonic кꙑпѣти (kypěti, to boil), Sanskrit कुप्यति (kúpyati, become agitated, bubbles up), English hope.

Pronunciation

Verb

cupiō (present infinitive cupere, perfect active cupīvī or cupiī, supine cupītum); third conjugation -variant

  1. to desire, long for
    Synonyms: requīrō, affectō, aveō, quaerō, studeō, concupiō, indigeō, petō, sitiō, expetō, circumspiciō, spectō, voveō, appetō
    Antonyms: āversor, abhorreō
    • 161 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Eunuchus 812–813:
      Nōvī ingenium mulierum: / nōlunt ubi vēlīs, ubi nolīs cupiunt ultrō.
      I know the ways of women: they are unwilling when you want [it]; [and] when you are unwilling, they desire [it] wantonly.
  2. to please, favor, be well disposed towards (someone, something)
    Quod cupiō mēcum est. Inopem mē cōpia fēcit.
    What I desire is with me: Abundance made me destitute.
    • Cupio omnia quaevis.
      Your wishes are mine.
      (literally, “I favor whatever you want.”)

Conjugation

1At least one rare poetic syncopated perfect form is attested.

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Sardinian: cubere
  • Walloon: keûre
  • Italian: cupere
  • English: cupiosexual

Reflexes of the Late Latin variant cupīre:

  • Franco-Provençal: kvi, kevi
  • Old French: covir
  • Old Occitan: cobir
  • >? Sardinian: cubire

Reflexes of the Late Latin variant cupiscere:

  • Franc-Comtois: quevatre

References

Further reading

  • cupio”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • cupio in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
  • Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
    • to be favourably disposed towards: alicuius causa velle or cupere