adsum

Latin

Alternative forms

• assum

Etymology

From ad- (“to”) +‎ sum (“I am”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈad.sum/, [ˈäs̠ːʊ̃ˑ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈad.sum/, [ˈäd̪sum]

Verb

adsum (present infinitive adesse, perfect active adfuī, future participle adfutūrus); irregular conjugation, irregular, no passive, no supine stem except in the future active participle

1. (with dative) to be here, there, near, present, at hand

   Synonym: stō

   Antonyms: dēsum, absum

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 4.384–386:

     “[...] Sequar ātrīs ignibus absēns, / et, cum frīgida mors animā sēdūxerit artūs, / omnibus umbra locīs aderō. [...]”

     “[Although you will be] gone, I’ll pursue [you] with smoking torches, and, when cold death has severed my limbs from life, in all places my shade shall be present.”
     (Avenging Furies or Erinyes carry torches: Dido — invoking poetic contrasts between hot/cold, death/life, absence/presence — will haunt Aeneas everywhere.)

2. (with dative) to arrive

   Synonyms: perveniō, adveniō, ēvādō, obeō, teneō, tangō, prehendō

3. (with dative) to attend
4. (with dative) to be present with aid or support; to stand by, assist, favor, help, sustain

   Synonyms: adiūtō, iuvō, adiuvō, foveō, assistō, succurrō, sublevō, prōficiō, prōsum

   Antonym: officiō

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 4.125:

     “[...] Aderō, et, tua sī mihi certa voluntās, [...].”

     “I [Juno, Queen of Marriage,] will be present, and [Venus], if your favor [is] assured me, [...].”
     (See: pronuba.)

   • 8 CE, Ovid, Fasti 6.652:

     nunc ades ō coeptīs, flāva Minervā, meīs.

     Now be favorably present, oh golden[-haired] Minerva, to [these] undertakings of mine.
     (The imperative active present tense second person singular “ades” summons the muse of poetry, Minerva. Here, the meaning includes both divine “presence” and “assistance”.)

5. to protect, defend

   Synonyms: prōtegō, dēfendō, custōdiō, vindicō, arceō, tūtor, prohibeō, mūniō, servō, tueor, sustineō, tegō

   Antonyms: obiectō, immineō, īnstō

Conjugation

Conjugation of adsum (highly irregular, suppletive, no supine stem except in the future active participle, active only)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	adsum	ades	adest	adsumus	adestis	adsunt
	imperfect	aderam	aderās	aderat	aderāmus	aderātis	aderant
	future	aderō	aderis, adere	aderit	aderimus	aderitis	aderunt
	perfect	adfuī	adfuistī	adfuit	adfuimus	adfuistis	adfuērunt, adfuēre
	pluperfect	adfueram	adfuerās	adfuerat	adfuerāmus	adfuerātis	adfuerant
	future perfect	adfuerō	adfueris	adfuerit	adfuerimus	adfueritis	adfuerint
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	adsim	adsīs	adsit	adsīmus	adsītis	adsint, adessint1
	imperfect	adessem, adforem	adessēs, adforēs	adesset, adforet	adessēmus, adforēmus	adessētis, adforētis	adessent, adforent
	perfect	adfuerim	adfuerīs	adfuerit	adfuerīmus	adfuerītis	adfuerint
	pluperfect	adfuissem	adfuissēs	adfuisset	adfuissēmus	adfuissētis	adfuissent
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	ades	—	—	adeste	—
	future	—	adestō	adestō	—	adestōte	adsuntō
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		adesse	adfuisse	adfutūrum esse, adfore, affore	—	—	—
participles		—	—	adfutūrus	—	—	—

¹Archaic.

References

• “adsum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “adsum”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• adsum 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 there at a given time: ad tempus adesse
    
  • to assist, stand by a person: adesse alicui or alicuius rebus (opp. deesse)
    
  • (1) to be attentive; (2) to keep one's presence of mind: animo adesse
    
  • to be quite unconcerned: animo adesse (Sull. 11. 33)
    
  • to be present at divine service (of the people): sacris adesse
    
  • to take no part in politics: rei publicae deesse (opp. adesse)
    
  • to issue a proclamation calling on the senators to assemble in full force: edicere, ut senatus frequens adsit (Fam. 11. 6. 2)
    
  • to appear in court: in iudicium venire, in iudicio adesse