LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbfourth conjugation

ambiō

ambiō (present infinitive ambīre, perfect active ambiī or ambīvī, supine ambītum)
Classical[ˈam.bi.oː]Ecclesiastical[ˈam.bi.o]
ambiēns pres. act. ptcp.

Meaning

  1. to round, go round, pass around, skirt
    Mox iubet et tōtam pavidīs ā cīvibus urbem ambīrī[…]He soon orders the whole city by the terrified citizens to be marched around […]39 CE – 65 CE, Lucanus, Bellum Civile 1.592–593
  2. to surround, encircle
  3. to solicit for votes, campaign, canvass
    Ferunt enim suffrāgia, mandant imperia, magistrātūs, ambiuntur, rogantur, sed ea dant, quae, etiamsī nōlint, danda sint, et quae ipsī non habent, unde aliī petunt.For they hold suffrages, mandate orders, magistracies, are campaigned for votes, have bills proposed to them, but grant that that was to be given even if they didn't want it, and what they don't hate themselves, whence others ask for it.54 BCE – 51 BCE, Cicero, De re publica 1.31
  4. to strive to get something from somebody, seek, strive for

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Ambire · Circumire

Circumire denotes motion in any circular form, but on the boundaries of a space, so as to go round it; ambire denotes going hither and thither in zigzag, or going about. Plin. Ep. ii. 9. Ambio domos, stationesque circumeo: and Cic. Att. xiv. 21. Antonium circumire veteranos, ut acta Cæsaris sancirent; that is, He made in his canvassing the round, from first to last;—stronger than ambire, which would only express his canvassing, and addressing the veterans in general.

Conjugation conjugation 4

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.ambiōambiēbam
ambībam
ambiam
ambībō
ambiī
ambīvī
ambieram
ambīveram
ambierō
ambīverō
2nd sg.ambīsambiēbās
ambībās
ambiēs
ambībis
ambiistī
ambīvistī, ambīstī
ambierās
ambīverās
ambieris
ambīveris
3rd sg.ambitambiēbat
ambībat
ambiet
ambībit
ambiit
ambīvit
ambierat
ambīverat
ambierit
ambīverit
1st pl.ambīmusambiēbāmus
ambībāmus
ambiēmus
ambībimus
ambiimus
ambīvimus
ambierāmus
ambīverāmus
ambierimus
ambīverimus
2nd pl.ambītisambiēbātis
ambībātis
ambiētis
ambībitis
ambiistis
ambīvistis, ambīstis
ambierātis
ambīverātis
ambieritis
ambīveritis
3rd pl.ambiunt
ambeunt
ambiēbant
ambībant
ambient
ambībunt
ambiērunt
ambiēre, ambīvērunt, ambīvēre
ambierant
ambīverant
ambierint
ambīverint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.ambiam
ambeam
ambīremambierim
ambīverim
ambiissem
ambīvissem, ambīssem
2nd sg.ambiās
ambeās
ambīrēsambierīs
ambīverīs
ambiissēs
ambīvissēs, ambīssēs
3rd sg.ambiat
ambeat
ambīretambierit
ambīverit
ambiisset
ambīvisset, ambīsset
1st pl.ambiāmus
ambeāmus
ambīrēmusambierīmus
ambīverīmus
ambiissēmus
ambīvissēmus, ambīssēmus
2nd pl.ambiātis
ambeātis
ambīrētisambierītis
ambīverītis
ambiissētis
ambīvissētis
3rd pl.ambiant
ambeant
ambīrentambierint
ambīverint
ambiissent
ambīvissent, ambīssent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.ambiorambiēbar
ambībar
ambiar
ambībor
2nd sg.ambīris
ambīre
ambiēbāris
ambiēbāre, ambībāre, ambībāris
ambiēris
ambiēre, ambībere, ambīberis
3rd sg.ambīturambiēbātur
ambībātur
ambiētur
ambībitur
1st pl.ambīmurambiēbāmur
ambībāmur
ambiēmur
ambībimur
2nd pl.ambīminīambiēbāminī
ambībāminī
ambiēminī
ambībiminī
3rd pl.ambiuntur
ambeuntur
ambiēbantur
ambībantur
ambientur
ambībuntur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.ambiar
ambear
ambīrer
2nd sg.ambiāris
ambiāre, ambeāre, ambeāris
ambīrēris
ambīrēre
3rd sg.ambiātur
ambeātur
ambīrētur
1st pl.ambiāmur
ambeāmur
ambīrēmur
2nd pl.ambiāminī
ambeāminī
ambīrēminī
3rd pl.ambiantur
ambeantur
ambīrentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.ambīambīre
pres. 2nd pl.ambīteambīminī
fut. 2nd sg.ambītōambītor
fut. 3rd sg.ambītōambītor
fut. 2nd pl.ambītōte—
fut. 3rd pl.ambiuntō
ambeuntō
ambiuntor
ambeuntor
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitiveambīreambīrī
perfect infinitiveambiisse
ambīvisse, ambīsse
ambītum esse
future infinitiveambītūrum esseambītum īrī
present participleambiēns
ambiente, ambientem, ambientēs, ambientī, ambientia, ambientibus, ambientis, ambientīs, ambientium
—
perfect participle—ambītus
ambīta, ambītā, ambītae, ambītam, ambītārum, ambītās, ambītī, ambītōrum, ambītōs
future participleambītūrus
ambītūra, ambītūrā, ambītūrae, ambītūram, ambītūrārum, ambītūrās, ambītūre, ambītūrī, ambītūrīs, ambītūrō, ambītūrōrum, ambītūrōs, ambītūrum
ambiendus
ambiundus, ambeunda, ambeundā, ambeundae, ambeundam, ambeundārum, ambeundās, ambeunde, ambeundī, ambeundīs, ambeundō, ambeundōrum, ambeundōs, ambeundum, ambeundus, ambienda, ambiendā, ambiendae, ambiendam, ambiendārum, ambiendās, ambiende, ambiendīs, ambiendōrum, ambiendōs
gerundambiendī, ambiendō, ambiendumsupineambītum, ambītū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

ambire aliquem (always with Acc. of person)
to solicit the vote or favour of some one.

amb-ĭo, īvi, and ii, ītum, 4,
I. v. n. and a. (although from the root eo, it is regularly conjugated throughout; hence part. perf. ambītus; but ambitio and 2. ambĭtus follow the quantity of the simple verb, eo, ĭtum; in the imperf. ambiebat; also ambibat, Ov. M. 5, 361; cf. Prisc. p. 910 P.; Zumpt, Gram. § 215).
I. Lit.: aliquid, to go round or about a thing (syn. circumeo): ut terram lunae cursus proxime ambiret, Cic. Tim. 9: ambibat Siculae cautus fundamina terrae, Ov. M. 5, 361: jubet urbem ambiri, Luc. 1, 592.—
II. Transf.
A. To surround, encircle, encompass (syn.: circumdo, cingo): insula, quam amnis Euphrates ambiebat, Vell. 2, 101: ambitae litora terrae, Ov. M. 1, 37: Thracam nec purior ambiat Hebrus, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 13; Verg. A. 6, 550 (cf. Sen. Ben. 4, 5: flumina campos cingentia; v. ambitus, I.): funiculus ambiebat gyrum ejus, Vulg. 2 Par. 4, 2: muros praealtum mare ambiebat, Curt. 4, 2; so Tac. A. 1, 68; 15, 43; Suet. Aug. 95: (clipei) oras ambiit auro, Verg. A. 10, 243: ambiente (gemmam) circulo coloris aurei, Plin. 37, 10, 60, § 166: Judam suo ambiebat exercitu, Vulg. 2 Par. 13, 13.—
B. T. t. to designate the manner in which candidates for office sought to procure votes (v. ambitio), to go round after, to solicit, canvass for votes (syn. peto): virtute ambire oportet, non fautoribus, Plaut. Am. prol. 18: quod si comitia placet in senatu habere, petamus, ambiamus, Cic. Phil. 11, 8: ambiuntur, rogantur, id. Rep. 1, 31; id. Planc. 4: singulos ex senatu ambiundo nitebantur, ne etc., Sall. J. 13, 8.—With acc. of the office: magistratum sibi, Plaut. Am. prol. 74.—
C. In gen., to solicit one for something, for his favor, friendship, etc., to strive for, seek to gain (syn.: peto, sector): qui ambīssent palmam histrionibus, Plaut. Am. prol. 69: nisi senis amicos oras, ambis, * Ter. And. 2, 2, 36: reginam ambire affatu, Verg. A. 4, 284: conubiis ambire Latinum, id. ib. 7, 333: te pauper ambit sollicitā prece Ruris colonus, Hor. C. 1, 35, 5: ambiebat Jason summum sacerdotium, Vulg. 2 Macc. 4, 7.—With ut or ne: ambienti, ut legibus solveretur, Suet. Caes. 18: ambirent multi, ne filias in sortem darent, id. Aug. 31.—With inf.: donec ultro ambiretur consulatum accipere, Tac. A. 2, 43: pauci, qui ob nobilitatem plurimis nuptiis ambiuntur, Tac. G. 18.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ent-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂énts?
  3. Latinambiō

Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰíder. Proto-Italic *amβi- Latin ambi- Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- Proto-Indo-European *h₁éyti Proto-Italic *ejō Proto-Italic *eō Latin eō Latin ambiō From ambi- (“around”) + eō (“go”).

Balkano-Romance
  • Romanianîmbia
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianambire
  • Venetananbir
Borrowings
  • Portugueseambiar

Quick answers

What does ambiō mean in Latin?
ambiō, a verb, means “to round, go round, pass around, skirt; to surround, encircle; to solicit for votes, campaign, canvass”.
What are the principal parts of ambiō?
ambiō, ambīre, ambiī, ambītum (fourth conjugation).
How do you pronounce ambiō?
In classical Latin, [ˈam.bi.oː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈam.bi.o].
Where does ambiō come from?
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- → Proto-Indo-European *h₂énts? → Latin ambiō.