English
circumvolve
Circumvolve comes from Latin circumvolvō ‘to roll oneself around’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *welH-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welH-‘to roll, to undulate’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wolwōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvolvō‘roll’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcircumvolvōas circumvolvere‘to roll oneself around’
- Englishearliest quotation 1647circumvolve
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welH-‘to roll, to undulate’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wolwōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvolvō‘roll’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcircumvolvōas circumvolvere‘to roll oneself around’
- Englishearliest quotation 1647circumvolve
Earliest quotation: 1647, Robert Herrick, Upon Master Fletchers Incomparable Playes: “[W]hen 'ere vvee circumvolve our Eyes, / Such rich,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *welH- ‘to roll, to undulate’
well, walk, wall, valve, vulgar, waltz, helix, divulge, vagrant, wale, gauche, vulgate, iliac, ilium, valise, valvular, 71 more
through Proto-Italic *wolwō
devolution, revolve, devolve, convolutional, 39 more
through Latin volvō ‘roll’
revolution, volume, evolution, vault, involve, revolt, evolve, convoluted, vulva, voluminous, convolution, involution, voluble, 43 more
Today it means
verb To cause (something) to revolve or roll around; to put (something) into a circular motion.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *welH- / circumvolve