EtymologyEdit
From Proto-Italic *spondeō, from Proto-Indo-European *spondéyeti, causative verb from *spend- (“to perform a rite, make an offering”). Cognates include Ancient Greek σπένδω (spéndō, “libate”), σπονδή (spondḗ, “libation”).
PronunciationEdit
spondeō (present infinitive spondēre, perfect active spopondī, supine spōnsum); second conjugation
- I promise, bind or pledge myself, contract, vow.
- Synonyms: dēspondeō, voveō, ostentō, profiteor, prōmittō, stipulor, pangō, polliceor
- I guarantee
- I promise for another; I become security for a person, enter bail.
- I promise or engage in marriage, betroth.
ConjugationEdit
- This verb has only limited passive conjugation; only third-person passive forms are attested in surviving sources. The third principal part may be spopondī or spepondī.
| Conjugation of spondeō (second conjugation)
|
|---|
| indicative
|
singular
|
plural
|
|---|
| first
|
second
|
third
|
first
|
second
|
third
|
|---|
| active
|
present
|
spondeō
|
spondēs
|
spondet
|
spondēmus
|
spondētis
|
spondent
|
|---|
| imperfect
|
spondēbam
|
spondēbās
|
spondēbat
|
spondēbāmus
|
spondēbātis
|
spondēbant
|
|---|
| future
|
spondēbō
|
spondēbis
|
spondēbit
|
spondēbimus
|
spondēbitis
|
spondēbunt
|
|---|
| perfect
|
spopondī,
spepondī
|
spopondistī,
spepondistī
|
spopondit,
spepondit
|
spopondimus,
spepondimus
|
spopondistis,
spepondistis
|
spopondērunt,
spopondēre,
spepondērunt,
spepondēre
|
|---|
| pluperfect
|
spoponderam,
speponderam
|
spoponderās,
speponderās
|
spoponderat,
speponderat
|
spoponderāmus,
speponderāmus
|
spoponderātis,
speponderātis
|
spoponderant,
speponderant
|
|---|
| future perfect
|
spoponderō,
speponderō
|
spoponderis,
speponderis
|
spoponderit,
speponderit
|
spoponderimus,
speponderimus
|
spoponderitis,
speponderitis
|
spoponderint,
speponderint
|
|---|
| sigmatic future1 |
spōnsō
|
spōnsis
|
spōnsit
|
spōnsimus
|
spōnsitis
|
spōnsint
|
|---|
| passive
|
present
|
spondeor
|
spondēris,
spondēre
|
spondētur
|
spondēmur
|
spondēminī
|
spondentur
|
|---|
| imperfect
|
spondēbar
|
spondēbāris,
spondēbāre
|
spondēbātur
|
spondēbāmur
|
spondēbāminī
|
spondēbantur
|
|---|
| future
|
spondēbor
|
spondēberis,
spondēbere
|
spondēbitur
|
spondēbimur
|
spondēbiminī
|
spondēbuntur
|
|---|
| perfect
|
spōnsus + present active indicative of sum
|
|---|
| pluperfect
|
spōnsus + imperfect active indicative of sum
|
|---|
| future perfect
|
spōnsus + future active indicative of sum
|
|---|
| subjunctive
|
singular
|
plural
|
|---|
| first
|
second
|
third
|
first
|
second
|
third
|
|---|
| active
|
present
|
spondeam
|
spondeās
|
spondeat
|
spondeāmus
|
spondeātis
|
spondeant
|
|---|
| imperfect
|
spondērem
|
spondērēs
|
spondēret
|
spondērēmus
|
spondērētis
|
spondērent
|
|---|
| perfect
|
spoponderim,
speponderim
|
spoponderīs,
speponderīs
|
spoponderit,
speponderit
|
spoponderīmus,
speponderīmus
|
spoponderītis,
speponderītis
|
spoponderint,
speponderint
|
|---|
| pluperfect
|
spopondissem,
spepondissem
|
spopondissēs,
spepondissēs
|
spopondisset,
spepondisset
|
spopondissēmus,
spepondissēmus
|
spopondissētis,
spepondissētis
|
spopondissent,
spepondissent
|
|---|
| sigmatic aorist1 |
spōnsim
|
spōnsīs
|
spōnsīt
|
spōnsīmus
|
spōnsītis
|
spōnsint
|
|---|
| passive
|
present
|
spondear
|
spondeāris,
spondeāre
|
spondeātur
|
spondeāmur
|
spondeāminī
|
spondeantur
|
|---|
| imperfect
|
spondērer
|
spondērēris,
spondērēre
|
spondērētur
|
spondērēmur
|
spondērēminī
|
spondērentur
|
|---|
| perfect
|
spōnsus + present active subjunctive of sum
|
|---|
| pluperfect
|
spōnsus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
|
|---|
| imperative
|
singular
|
plural
|
|---|
| first
|
second
|
third
|
first
|
second
|
third
|
|---|
| active
|
present
|
—
|
spondē
|
—
|
—
|
spondēte
|
—
|
|---|
| future
|
—
|
spondētō
|
spondētō
|
—
|
spondētōte
|
spondentō
|
|---|
| passive
|
present
|
—
|
spondēre
|
—
|
—
|
spondēminī
|
—
|
|---|
| future
|
—
|
spondētor
|
spondētor
|
—
|
—
|
spondentor
|
|---|
| non-finite forms
|
active
|
passive
|
|---|
| present
|
perfect
|
future
|
present
|
perfect
|
future
|
|---|
| infinitives
|
spondēre
|
spopondisse,
spepondisse
|
spōnsūrum esse
|
spondērī
|
spōnsum esse
|
spōnsum īrī
|
|---|
| participles
|
spondēns
|
—
|
spōnsūrus
|
—
|
spōnsus
|
spondendus
|
|---|
| verbal nouns
|
gerund
|
supine
|
|---|
| genitive
|
dative
|
accusative
|
ablative
|
accusative
|
ablative
|
|---|
| spondendī
|
spondendō
|
spondendum
|
spondendō
|
spōnsum
|
spōnsū
|
1At least one use of the archaic "sigmatic future" and "sigmatic aorist" tenses is attested, which are used by Old Latin writers; most notably Plautus and Terence. The sigmatic future is generally ascribed a future or future perfect meaning, while the sigmatic aorist expresses a possible desire ("might want to").
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
ReferencesEdit
- “spondeo”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “spondeo”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- spondeo in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
- “spondeo”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin
- Sihler, Andrew L. (1995) New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN
