sperno

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *spernō, from Proto-Indo-European *sperH-. The perfect stem of the term may have been innovatively formed within Latin, perhaps according to the model of terms such as pleō. Alternatively, the zero-grade of an original root aorist may have produced the form *spera-, which perhaps evolved into *sprā-. Afterwards, the term may have then been reshaped into *sprē-.

Compare Latin spurius, parcus, spargō, spurcus, Ancient Greek σπείρω (speírō), English spurn, spread, spare.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈspɛr.noː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈspɛr.no]

Verb

spernō (present infinitive spernere, perfect active sprēvī, supine sprētum); third conjugation

1. to move aside, push away

   Synonyms: aufero, abduco, tollō, adimō, rapiō, ēripiō, dīripiō, arceo, excludo

   Antonyms: praefero, produco, affero, edo, profero, propono

2. to sever, separate, remove

   Synonyms: separo, segrego, intersaepio, excludo, dīvertō, dirimō

3. to despise, reject, scorn, spurn

   Synonyms: contemnō, dētrectō, cavillor, abiciō, āspernor, trādūcō, neglegō

   Spernunt dīvitiās et voluptātēs.

   They despise riches and pleasures.

Conjugation

   Conjugation of spernō (third conjugation)

indicative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	spernō		spernis		spernit		spernimus		spernitis		spernunt
	imperfect	spernēbam		spernēbās		spernēbat		spernēbāmus		spernēbātis		spernēbant
	future	spernam		spernēs		spernet		spernēmus		spernētis		spernent
	perfect	sprēvī		sprēvistī		sprēvit		sprēvimus		sprēvistis		sprēvērunt, sprēvēre
	pluperfect	sprēveram		sprēverās		sprēverat		sprēverāmus		sprēverātis		sprēverant
	future perfect	sprēverō		sprēveris		sprēverit		sprēverimus		sprēveritis		sprēverint
passive	present	spernor		sperneris, spernere		spernitur		spernimur		sperniminī		spernuntur
	imperfect	spernēbar		spernēbāris, spernēbāre		spernēbātur		spernēbāmur		spernēbāminī		spernēbantur
	future	spernar		spernēris, spernēre		spernētur		spernēmur		spernēminī		spernentur
	perfect	sprētus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	sprētus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	sprētus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	spernam		spernās		spernat		spernāmus		spernātis		spernant
	imperfect	spernerem		spernerēs		sperneret		spernerēmus		spernerētis		spernerent
	perfect	sprēverim		sprēverīs		sprēverit		sprēverīmus		sprēverītis		sprēverint
	pluperfect	sprēvissem		sprēvissēs		sprēvisset		sprēvissēmus		sprēvissētis		sprēvissent
passive	present	spernar		spernāris, spernāre		spernātur		spernāmur		spernāminī		spernantur
	imperfect	spernerer		spernerēris, spernerēre		spernerētur		spernerēmur		spernerēminī		spernerentur
	perfect	sprētus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	sprētus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		sperne		—		—		spernite		—
	future	—		spernitō		spernitō		—		spernitōte		spernuntō
passive	present	—		spernere		—		—		sperniminī		—
	future	—		spernitor		spernitor		—		—		spernuntor
non-finite forms		infinitive						participle
		active			passive			active			passive
present		spernere			spernī			spernēns			—
future		sprētūrum esse			sprētum īrī			sprētūrus			spernendus, spernundus
perfect		sprēvisse			sprētum esse			—			sprētus
future perfect		—			sprētum fore			—			—
perfect potential		sprētūrum fuisse			—			—			—
verbal nouns		gerund								supine
		genitive		dative		accusative		ablative		accusative		ablative
		spernendī		spernendō		spernendum		spernendō		sprētum		sprētū

References

• “sperno”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• sperno in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2025), Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication
• “sperno”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “sperno”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• 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 579
• Rix, Helmut, editor (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben [Lexicon of Indo-European Verbs] (in German), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, →ISBN, page 585
• Sihler, Andrew L. (1995), New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 584