cunctor

Latin

Alternative forms

• cūnctō, cōntor

Etymology

Perhaps a denominative in -ō from an unattested adjective or participle, Proto-Italic *konkitos (“hanging”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱenk- (“to hang”). Alternatively, it may have emerged from a pre-form *cuncitō, itself possibly an iterative from earlier *konk-e/ō-, which may derive from Proto-Indo-European *ḱonk-éye-ti, a causative from the root *ḱenk- (“to hang”). This same causative form may also be the source of Proto-Germanic *hangijaną.

Cognate with English hang.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈkuːŋk.tɔr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈkuŋk.tor]

Verb

cūnctor (present infinitive cūnctārī or cūnctārier, perfect active cūnctātus sum); first conjugation, deponent, impersonal in the passive

1. to delay, impede or hold up

   Synonyms: dētineō, supprimō, refrēnō, retineō, moror, obstō, contineō, intersaepiō, arceō, inclūdō

   • c. 4 BCE – 65 CE, Seneca Minor, De brevitate vitae 9:

     "Quid cunctaris?", inquit, "Quid cessas? Nisi occupas, fugit."

     "Why do you delay," says he, "Why are you idle? Unless you seize the day, it flees."

2. to hesitate, tarry or linger

   Synonyms: retardō, tardō, moror, dubitō, trahō, differō

   Antonyms: ruō, accurrō, currō, festīnō, prōvolō, properō, corripiō, affluō, mātūrō

3. to dawdle

Conjugation

   Conjugation of cūnctor (first conjugation, deponent, impersonal in the passive)

indicative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	cūnctor		cūnctāris, cūnctāre		cūnctātur		cūnctāmur		cūnctāminī		cūnctantur
	imperfect	cūnctābar		cūnctābāris, cūnctābāre		cūnctābātur		cūnctābāmur		cūnctābāminī		cūnctābantur
	future	cūnctābor		cūnctāberis, cūnctābere		cūnctābitur		cūnctābimur		cūnctābiminī		cūnctābuntur
	perfect	cūnctātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	cūnctātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	cūnctātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	cūncter		cūnctēris, cūnctēre		cūnctētur		cūnctēmur		cūnctēminī		cūnctentur
	imperfect	cūnctārer		cūnctārēris, cūnctārēre		cūnctārētur		cūnctārēmur		cūnctārēminī		cūnctārentur
	perfect	cūnctātus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	cūnctātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		cūnctāre		—		—		cūnctāminī		—
	future	—		cūnctātor		cūnctātor		—		—		cūnctantor
non-finite forms		infinitive						participle
		active			passive			active			passive
present		cūnctārī, cūnctārier1			—			cūnctāns			—
future		cūnctātūrum esse			—			cūnctātūrus			cūnctandum
perfect		cūnctātum esse			—			cūnctātus			—
future perfect		cūnctātum fore			—			—			—
perfect potential		cūnctātūrum fuisse			—			—			—
verbal nouns		gerund								supine
		genitive		dative		accusative		ablative		accusative		ablative
		cūnctandī		cūnctandō		cūnctandum		cūnctandō		cūnctātum		cūnctātū

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

Derived terms

• cūnctābundus
• cūnctāmen
• cūnctāns
• cūnctanter
• cūnctantior
• cūnctantissimē
• cūnctantissimus
• cūnctantius
• cūnctātiō
• cūnctātior
• cūnctātissimus
• cūnctātor
• *praecūnctō

References

• “cunctor”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “cunctor”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “cunctor”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• cunctor in Ramminger, Johann (16 July 2016 (last accessed)), Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[1], pre-publication website, 2005-2016
• De Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 153