English → Latin
“about” in Latin
circusa circular line or orbit; circle, ring; a racecourse or space where games are held, especially one that is round; the spcircāaround; about; on both sidesferuswild, savage, fierce, cruel; uncivilized, uncultivated; untamed, roughfermēclosely, quite, entirely, fully, altogether, just; in general, generally, usually, commonly, for most of the timecirciteron every side; near, round about; near, close, about; near, close, about, approximatelysubunder, beneath; behind; at the feet ofsuperusabove, upper, higher
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
about
circum (prepositon and adverb, denotes (1) motion round a centre: circum axem se convertere, (2) motion from one to another of a number of objects; e.g., to send any body, circum amicoa, circum insulas, etc.; (3) position, entirely or partly, round an inclosed object: capillus circum caput rejectus): circa (preposition and adverb, denotes proximity, considered as a point or points in an inclosing line or space, rather than as an extended portion of such line or space. “Circum urbem conmorari, est in conclusa vicinitate versari; circa urbem, in propinqua regione, haud procul” Handrianus, Turs., ii., p. 50. Not used by Plaut., Ter., Lucr., Sall. and seldom by Cic.).
Nearly, in approximate statements, fere, ferme (two forms of the same word: about, both of time and number; not as a loose statement, but of a statement believed to be as accurate as possible or necessary): circiter, circa, ad (about, of time and number; circiter as adverb and preposition with accusative, Cic. never uses circa in this way, but Liv., Curt., etc., do): sub (with accusative): quinta fere hora = in the course of the fifth hour, Handrianus: circiter eandem horam. About noon, circiter or ad meridiem. About the fourth part, circiter pars quarta. About 500 were taken, ad quingentos capti sunt. About Pompey’s days, circa Pompeium (Quint.), circa Pompeii aetatem (Plin.).
Concerning, circa (with respect to: where earlier writers use in, de, ad, erga, etc., after negligens, assiduus: circa bonas artes socordia, Tac. To be employed about, in aliqua re versari. Later writers, circa aliquam rem versari; in aliqua re occupatum esse): de (after audire, dicere, judicare, scribere, etc., legatos de aliqua re mittere): super (with ablative, to write or do anything, super aliqua re, Cic.: to be sent, super aliqua re, Cic., Nep.).
To go or set about anything, aggredi, conari, moliri, etc. Vid. BEGIN, UNDERTAKE.
To take anybody about the waist, aliquem medium complecti. What are you about? quid agis?
To bring about, aliquid efficere; effectum dare or reddere.
About, before infin. is to be translated by the partic. in -dus.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for about?
- The usual Latin words for “about” are circus, circā, ferus; also fermē, circiter, sub. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.