Latin edit

Etymology edit

From circum- +‎ stō.

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

circumstō (present infinitive circumstāre, perfect active circumstetī); first conjugation, no supine stem

  1. to stand around, to surround or encircle, to occupy, to take possession of
  2. (figuratively) to encompass, to beset, to occupy, to take, to take possession of, to overcome
    • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 2.559–560:
      “At mē tum prīmum saevus circumstetit horror / Obstipuī….”
      “But then, [for] the first [time], savage horror overcame me: I was astounded….”
      (Aeneas is literally surrounded by death and destruction and figuratively begins to feel overwhelmed by concerns for the fate of his own family.)

Conjugation edit

   Conjugation of circumstō (first conjugation, no supine stem)
indicative singular plural
first second third first second third
active present circumstō circumstās circumstat circumstāmus circumstātis circumstant
imperfect circumstābam circumstābās circumstābat circumstābāmus circumstābātis circumstābant
future circumstābō circumstābis circumstābit circumstābimus circumstābitis circumstābunt
perfect circumstetī circumstetistī circumstetit circumstetimus circumstetistis circumstetērunt,
circumstetēre
pluperfect circumsteteram circumsteterās circumsteterat circumsteterāmus circumsteterātis circumsteterant
future perfect circumsteterō circumsteteris circumsteterit circumsteterimus circumsteteritis circumsteterint
passive present circumstor circumstāris,
circumstāre
circumstātur circumstāmur circumstāminī circumstantur
imperfect circumstābar circumstābāris,
circumstābāre
circumstābātur circumstābāmur circumstābāminī circumstābantur
future circumstābor circumstāberis,
circumstābere
circumstābitur circumstābimur circumstābiminī circumstābuntur
subjunctive singular plural
first second third first second third
active present circumstem circumstēs circumstet circumstēmus circumstētis circumstent
imperfect circumstārem circumstārēs circumstāret circumstārēmus circumstārētis circumstārent
perfect circumsteterim circumsteterīs circumsteterit circumsteterīmus circumsteterītis circumsteterint
pluperfect circumstetissem circumstetissēs circumstetisset circumstetissēmus circumstetissētis circumstetissent
passive present circumster circumstēris,
circumstēre
circumstētur circumstēmur circumstēminī circumstentur
imperfect circumstārer circumstārēris,
circumstārēre
circumstārētur circumstārēmur circumstārēminī circumstārentur
imperative singular plural
first second third first second third
active present circumstā circumstāte
future circumstātō circumstātō circumstātōte circumstantō
passive present circumstāre circumstāminī
future circumstātor circumstātor circumstantor
non-finite forms active passive
present perfect future present perfect future
infinitives circumstāre circumstetisse circumstārī
participles circumstāns circumstandus
verbal nouns gerund supine
genitive dative accusative ablative accusative ablative
circumstandī circumstandō circumstandum circumstandō

References edit

  • circumsto”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • circumsto”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • circumsto in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.