Circum-

A Latin adv. and prep. meaning ‘around, round about,’ much used in composition with verbs, and hence with the sbs. and adjs. formed from them, as in circumambulāre to walk about, circumflectĕre to bend round, circumflexus bent round, circumflexio a bending round, etc. Only a few of these survived in OF. (e.g., circoncire to circumcise, circonscrire to circumscribe) and passed thence into Eng. (with circon-, circun-, circum-); but a large number of words adopted from or formed on the Latin, or in accordance with L. analogies, have arisen in modern French, and still more in English, where the analogy has occasionally been extended by prefixing circum-, as a living element, to native or naturalized verbs; e.g., circumbind, circumflow, circumzoned.

  A much rarer Latin use (which was however common in Gr. with περί) was in parasynthetic derivatives from circum prep. + sb., forming adjectives, as in circumpadānus, (f. circum Padum) lying round the Po, circummurānus around the walls, circumforāneus around the forum, circumcordiālis Tertull. = περικάρδιος, around the heart. This has proved a fruitful analogy for modern compounds, e.g., circumpolar, circumlittoral, etc.

  All important words in circum- will be found in their alphabetical places as main-words; but a number of less important or trivial words are collected here, under their respective types.

  1.  Derivatives and combinations in which circum (= around, about, on all sides) adverbially qualifies a. verbs, b. participles and participial adjectives. c. verbal substantives; as (among combinations of obvious meaning, mostly nonce-words) a. circumbind, to bind round, -c·ompass, to compass about, -flow, -glaze, -inclo·se, -inclu·de, -pass, -press, -roll, -sail, -spa·ngle, -stand, -walk; b. circum-bea·med, -fixed, -flanked, -sea·ted, -stationed, zoned; so circumbe·ndingly adv.; c. circum-gurgita·tion, -migra·tion, -revolu·tion, etc.

  Also † Circumaggerate v. [L. circumaggerāre], † -aggeration (see quots.). † Circumcept v., see circumsept. † Circumcingle v., to girdle round. † Circumclose v., to enclose about or around. † Circumcross v., to mark round with a cross. † Circumcursation [f. L. circumcursāre to run round about], running round or about; † (?) rambling (in language). Circumdenudation, Geol. denudation all around (see quot.). † Circumdolate v. [f. L. circumdolāre to hew off around + -ATE³; also in Bailey 1731–66 associated with dolus deceit]. Circumerration [L. circumerrāre], wandering or strolling about. † Circumflant a. [L. circumflānt-em pres. pple. of circumflāre], blowing around. † Circumfodient a. [L. circumfodient-em pres. pple. of circumfodīre to dig round about], ‘that digs or entrenches about’ (Blount, Glossogr., 1656). † Circumfulgent a. [L. circumfulgēnt-em pres. pple. of circumfulgēre to shine around]. † Circumfulsed pa. pple. [f. L. circumfuls- pa. pple. of circumfulgēre], shone round. Circumhabitant a. [L. habitāre to dwell], dwelling around. † Circuminvolve v. [L. circuminvolv-ĕre], to surround on all sides, enclose, envelop. Circumitineration, a journeying around or about. † Circumition [L. circumitiōn-em, f. īre to go]. † Circumlite v. [f. L. circumlit- ppl. stem of circumlinĕre], to smear round or about; so † Circumlition [f. circumlitiōn-em]. † Circumlucid a., bright on every side. † Circummortal a., used by Herrick, app. for ‘beyond’ or ‘more than mortal.’ Circumnatant a. [L. natānt-em pres. pple. of natāre to swim], swimming around; so Circumnatatory a. † Circumnebulous a., cloudy on every side. † Circumobresistance, ? = next. † Circumobsistence, ? surrounding or external opposition. Circumpanation [L. panis bread], in eucharistic controversy, a surrounding with bread, the having a ‘bready’ external aspect. † Circumportation [L. portāre to carry], carrying about. † Circumpulsion (see quots.). † Circumradiancy, ? = IRRADIATION. Circumrasion [L. circumrāsiōn-em, f. circumrādĕre to scrape or pare around] (see quots.). † Circumresistency, resistance on all sides. † Circumroundabout, a circuitous proceeding, a circumlocution. Circumsept v. [f. L. circumsēpt- ppl. stem of circumsēpīre to hedge or fence round], to surround or enclose as with a fence. † Circumsist v. [L. circumsistĕre to stand around], ? to surround. † Circumsistent a. [L. circumsistent-em], surrounding. † Circumsonant a. [L. circumsonānt-em], sounding on every side; so † Circumsonate v. [f. L. circumsonāre + -ATE³]. † Circumspacious a., of large extent on every side. Circumspatial a., pertaining to surrounding space. † Circumstate v. [L. circumstāre], to stand round. † Circumstation [L. circumstatiōn-em], standing round. † Circumstipate v. [L. circumstīpāre], to surround (as a crowd). † Circumstrue v. [L. circumstruĕre], to build round about. † Circumtend v. [L. tendĕre to stretch], to stretch around; so Circumtension, -tention. Circumundulate v., to flow round in undulations; so Circumundulation. Circumvagant a. [L. circumvagānt-em pres. pple. of circumvagāri to wander about], wandering about (in later edd. of Bailey altered to Circumvagrant). † Circumvect v. [f. L. circumvect- ppl. stem of circumvehĕre], to carry about; so † Circumvection [L. circumvectiōn-em]. Circumviron v., to environ on all sides. † Circumvision (?). Circumvolitate v. [L. circumvolitāre], to hover around.

1656.  Blount, Glossogr., *Circumaggerate, to heap, or cast a heap about.

1678–96.  Phillips, *Circumaggeration, a heaping round about. Hence in Kersey, Bailey, Ash.

1635.  Person, Varieties, II. 66. A Comet *circumbeamed about with … long hayre.

1840.  New Monthly Mag., LIX. 494. [He] makes his nod *circumbendingly.

1648.  Herrick, Hesper., Temple, 64. The fringe that *circumbinds it too.

1599.  A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, 154/1. *Circumcingle the Egge with fier. Ibid., 184/2 § 2. That he may circumcingle the patient about his body.

1645.  Quarles, Sol. Recant., XII. 15. Wisdome shall guide thee, Love shall *circumclose thee.

c. 1630.  Risdon, Surv. Devon (1714), II. 261. The second that *circum-compassed the earthly Globe.

1648.  Herrick, Hesper., To Silvia. I am holy while I stand *Circum-crost by thy pure hand.

a. 1677.  Barrow, Pope’s Suprem., 252 (1687). The address … was but a factious *circumcursation of desperate wretches.

1855.  Smedley, Occult Sc., 335. The object of this circumcursation was simply to exclude the interference of the will.

1882.  Geikie, Text-bk. Geol., VII. 925. Eminences detached by erosion from the masses of rock whereof they once formed a part, have been termed hills of *circumdenudation.

1623.  Cockeram, *Circundolate, to hew round about. [Hence in Blount, Glossogr.]

1731.  Bailey, To Circumdolate, to chip, or cut about; also to deceive.

1648.  Herrick, Hesper., To Sir J. Berkley. This citie … seven times *circumflankt with brasse.

1657.  Jer. Taylor, in Evelyn, Mem. (1857), III. 99. That little particle of fire is soon overcome by the *circumflant air.

1843.  Blackw. Mag., LIV. 412. China, India, and the seas *circumflowing.

1656.  Blount, Glossogr., *Circumfulgent, shining about, or on all sides.

1667.  H. More, Div. Dial., V. § 10 (1713), 440. Circumfulgent fire.

1513.  Bradshaw, St. Werburge, I. 2038. This lady *cyrcumfulsed with grace. Ibid., II. 433. With grace circumfulced and lyghtned was Englande.

1590.  Greene, Never too Late, O iij b. Assoone as I beganne to *circumglaze her with my Sophistry.

1842.  Kingsley, Lett., in Life, iv. Considering the oscillations and perplex *circumgurgitations of this piece-meal world.

1842.  Blackw. Mag., LI. 25. *Circumhabitant infancy and childhood congregate.

1664.  Power, Exp. Philos., II. 103. The Ayr … presses … upon the Earth, and all Bodies *circuminclosed by it. Ibid., I. 81. A double Crystalline humour, one *circum-included within the other. Ibid., I. 48. Other Seeds, besides the *circuminvolving Pulpe, are immured in Shells.

1792.  Gibbon, Lett., in Misc. Wks. (1796), I. 696. I wanted patience to undertake the tedious *circumitineration of the Tirol.

1731–6.  Bailey, *Circumition, a going about. Ibid. (1766–1800), the act of going round.

1657.  Tomlinson, Renou’s Disp., 675. Another Cucurbite … well … *circumlited with … clay.

1656.  Blount, Glossogr., *Circumlition, an annointing about, also a polishing.

1678–96.  Phillips, Circumlition, a daubing or plaistering about.

1662.  Stanley, Hist. Chaldaick Philos. (1701), 11/1. The place above the Moon is *circumlucid, or bright throughout.

1833.  Lamb, Elia, Pop. Fallacies, xi. (1860), 417. In their … round of unconscious *circum-migration.

1648.  Herrick, Hesper., 108, Upon Julia’s Breasts. Display thy breasts, my Julia, there let me Behold that *circummortall purity. Ibid., 194, To T. Shapcott. A verse that shall (When hence thy Circum-mortall-part is gon) Arch-like, hold up, Thy Name’s Inscription.

1791.  E. Darwin, Bot. Gard., I. 76, note. With intervals of the *circumnatant fluid between them.

1828.  Blackw. Mag., XXIII. 408/2. The circumjacent, circumambient, and circumnatant ducks are lost in astonishment at the phenomenon.

1835.  Wilson, Ibid., XXXVIII. 154. Perch rarely failed you, for … you were sure to fall in with one *circumnatatory school or other.

1662.  Stanley, Hist. Chaldaick Philos. (1701), 12/1. The place beneath the Moon is *circumnebulous, dark on every side.

1652.  Urquhart, Jewel, Wks. (1834), 289. A fountain … whose nature is to be the colder within itself the greater *circumobresistance of heat be in the aire.

1655–60.  Stanley, Hist. Philos. (1701), 258/2. Sleep … is a recession of the heat inward, with a natural kind of *Circumobsistence.

1582.  N. T. (Rhem.), 1 Tim. vi. 20, note. Their Companation, Impanation, *Circumpanation, to auoid the true Conuersion in the … Eucharist.

1588.  Lett. T. Cavendish, in Arb., Garner, II. 128. To *Circumpass the whole Globe.

c. 1630.  Risdon, Surv. Devon, § 192 (1811), 204. The second that circumpassed the earthly globe.

1635.  Pagitt, Christianogr., III. (1636), 106. Their reservation of the Hoast in a Boxe: their *circumportation thereof.

1664.  Power, Exp. Philos., II. 117. Upon removal of the *circumpressing Quicksilver.

1681.  trans. Willis’ Rem. Med. Wks., Voc., *Circumpulsion, a driving about.

1696.  Phillips, Circumpulsion, is the thrusting forward of all Bodies that are mov’d by the Bodies that lie round about ’em. [Hence in Bailey.]

1673.  Gregory, in Rigaud, Corr. Sci. Men (1841), II. 253. Making insensible the *circumradiancy of celestial bodies.

1731.  Bailey, II. *Circumrasion (with Botanists), a scraping or raking off the bark round about.

1755.  Johnson, Circumrasion, the act of shaving or paring round.

1664.  Power, Exp. Philos., II. 101. When the *circum-resistency of other contiguous Bodies to them is removed. Ibid., Pref. 13. *Circumrevolutions [of the Planetary Bodies] about their central Suns.

1812.  Sir R. Wilson, Private Diary, I. 80. The *circum-rolling waves.

1754.  Richardson, Grandison, vi. (1812), 155 (D.). With your hums and your haws, and the whole *circumroundabouts of female nonsense, to stave off the point.

1602.  Warner, Alb. Eng., XI. lxii. (1612), 271. Ye, of whom are some haue *circum-sail’d the earth.

a. 1799.  W. Cliffton, The Group, in Poems (1800), 7 (L.).

1657.  Tomlinson, Renou’s Disp., 303. Broad leafs *circumsepted with hard pricks.

1650.  Macallo, Can. Physick, 28. The *circumsisting Aire … maketh the blood more hot and dry.

1625.  Bp. Mountagu, App. Cæsar., 196. Accessory and *circumsistant.

1681.  Glanvill, Sadducismus, I. (1726), 70. The *Circumsonant Clangor of those surrounding Trumpets.

1656.  Blount, Glossogr., *Circunsonate, to make a sound on all parts, to be heard on every side; to ring about. [Hence in Phillips, Bailey, Ash.]

1648.  Herrick, Hesper., 356, Ultimus Heroum. When Cato the Severe Entred the *circumspacious Theater. Ibid., 314, To J. Crofts. Some few Immortals out To *circumspangle this my spacious Sphere (As Lamps for everlasting shining here).

1839.  Bailey, Festus, xix. (1848), 206. A shout From the foregathered multitudes which caused The *circumspatial skies shake.

1632.  Lithgow, Trav., IX. (1682), 367. All the *circumstanding knights.

1623.  Cockeram, *Circunstate, to compasse about. Ibid., ii. A Compassing about … *Circunstation. [In Blount and Ash.]

1850.  H. H. Wilson, trans. Rig-veda, I. 15. The *circum-stationed (inhabitants of the three worlds).

a. 1734.  North, Exam., I. iii. § 156 (1740), 223. He was well lodged at Whitehall … and *circumstipated with his Guards.

1623.  Cockeram, *Circumstrued, built round about.

1684.  trans. Bonet’s Merc. Compit., III. 57. A thin Membrane *circumtended like a Valve.

1603.  Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 1021. The extentions and *circumtentions of right lines.

1835.  T. Hook, G. Gurney (1850), III. iv. 384. A clear trout-stream *circumundulated the grounds.

1664.  Power, Exp. Philos., I. 69. The … Observation of the Spirits *circumundulation when the Snail … moved.

1656.  Blount, Glossogr., *Circunvagant, that wandreth about.

1721–.  in Bailey.

1755.  in Ash.

1878.  L. Wingfield, Lady Grizel, III. xvii. 370. With circumvagrant windings.

1657.  Tomlinson, Renou’s Disp., 281. Other grains … are *circumvected by circulators.

1656.  Blount, Glossogr., *Circunvection, a carrying or conveying about. [In Bailey, Johnson, etc.]

1632.  Lithgow, Trav., VI. (1682), 267. The Mountains, that *Circumviron Jerusalem.

1860.  All Y. Round, No. 43. 401. Those circumvironing cypresses.

a. 1528.  Skelton, Vox. Pop., 82. Within the *circumvisions Of your graces domynyons.

1819.  H. Busk, Vestriad, V. 92. He *circumvolitates the prostrate scene.

1648.  Herrick, Hesper., 11, Sailing fr. Julia. Those Deities which *circum-walk the Seas.

1664.  Evelyn, Sylva (1776), 314. Cones [of the cedar] … *circum-zoned, as it were, with pretty broad thick scales.

  2.  Adjectives in which circum (= around, surrounding) prepositionally governs a sb. implied in the second part of the compound; as Circumantarctic, Circumarctic around the Antarctic or Arctic pole or circle. Circumbasal, around the base. Circumcentral, around or about the center. Circumcolumnar, surrounding a column. Circumcorneal, around the cornea of the eye. Circumlental, around the crystalline lens of the eye. Circum-Mediterranean, around the Mediterranean Sea. Circummundane [L. mundus world], surrounding the world. Circumocular [L. oculus eye], ‘running or extending round the eye’ (Syd. Soc. Lex.). Circumœsophagal, -eal, surrounding the œsophagus; applied to a ring of nerve-ganglia in Crustaceans. Circumpallial, around the pallium or ‘mantle’ of Mollusks. Circumspheral, surrounding a sphere. Circumumbilical, surrounding the umbilicus. Circumzenithal, around or about the zenith.

1855–60.  Maury, Phys. Geog. Sea, xi. § 511. In the *circumantartic regions, where all is sea.

1880.  Watson, in Jrnl. Linn. Soc., XV. No. 82. 106. Two stronger *circumbasal threads.

1708.  Motteux, Rabelais, V. xlvii. (1737), 198. In these *Circumcentral Regions.

1880.  Watson, in Jrnl. Linn. Soc., XV. No. 82. 126. The absence of the *circumcolumnar thread on the base.

1861.  Bumstead, Ven. Dis. (1879), 710. The *circumcorneal injection.

1879.  P. Smith, Glaucoma, 169. The *circumlental space does not reopen.

1880.  Brit. Med. Jrnl., Sept., 388. The circumlental space, i. e. the space which separated the margin of the lens from the ciliary processes.

1881.  Nature, XXIV. 35. The *circum-Mediterranean fauna.

1884.  in N. Y. Tribune, 28 Nov., 4/3. An open, *circummundane, annular sea.

1847–8.  Todd, Cycl. Anat., IV. 173/2. The eight larger ganglia of the *circumœsophageal ring.

1880.  Bastian, Brain, iv. 75. Distinct branches of the *circumpallial nerves.

1839.  Bailey, Festus, xix. 59/2. A cold … rayonnance As is the moon’s of naked light, ungarbed In *circumspheral air.

1881.  Watson, in Jrnl. Linn. Soc., XV. No. 85. 254. An indistinct and blunt *circumumbilical carina.

1882.  Nature, XXVI. 312. Astronomical observations without measurement of angles, by M. Rouget. He designates them *circumzenithal.