fateor

Latin

Etymology

    From Proto-Italic *fatēōr, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (to speak); the stem fat- seemingly comes from Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂-tó-s (spoken) (cognate with Ancient Greek φᾰτός (phătós)) or Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂-t- (who speaks).[1] Related to Latin for (I speak, I say), Latin fātum (fate), Latin fāma (fame, reputation), Ancient Greek φήμη (phḗmē, talk).

    Pronunciation

    Verb

    fateor (present infinitive fatērī or fatērier, perfect active fassus sum); second conjugation, deponent

    1. to confess, admit
      Synonym: profiteor
      • 166 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Andria 896:
        PAMPHILUS: Ego mē amāre hanc fateor; sī id peccāre est, fateor id quoque.
        PAMPHILUS: I admit that I love her; if that is a sin, I admit that, too.
      • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 4.20:
        “Anna, fatēbor enim, [...].”
        “Anna — yes, I will admit [it] — [...].”
    2. to acknowledge, own
      Synonym: agnōscō
    3. to show, indicate
      Synonyms: praebeō, ostendō, ostentō, prōdō, indicō, expōnō, prōpōnō, prōferō, prōtrahō, acclārō, profiteor, vulgō, gerō, coarguō, praestō

    Conjugation

    1The present passive infinitive in -ier is a rare poetic form which is attested.

    Derived terms

    References

    1. ^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “fateor”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 204

    Further reading

    • fateor”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
    • fateor”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
    • fateor in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
    • Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
      • I admit it, say on: audio, fateor