verbfirst conjugation
errō1
errō (present infinitive errāre, perfect active errāvī, supine errātum)
Classical[ˈɛr.roː]Ecclesiastical[ˈɛr.ro]
№ 402 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- to wander, rove, stray, roam
arcēbat longē Latiō, multōsque per annōs errābant, āctī fātīs, maria omnia circum. [Juno] was keeping [the Trojans] far away from Latium, and through many years – driven by the Fates – they were wandering the seas all around. (The Trojans had been – and still were – wandering on their years-long odyssey to reach Latium in Italy. See: Latium.)
29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 1.31–32 - to get lost, go astray
- to err, wander from the truth, to mistake
- to hesitate, vacillate
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
sine viā certā eō; quī errat, viam nescit; etiam: falsum putō.errō -āre — in Mille Verba, ch. Via et Iter
falsum putōerrō -āre — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 11
hūc illūc vagorerrō -āre — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 7, 16
ā vērō dēvertō, fallorerrō -āre — in Evangelium secundum Marcum, ch. 18
wander; be wrong
errō -āre — in De Bello Gallico I and De Bello Gallico III
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Errare · Vagari · Palari
Errare (ἔῤῥειν) is to go astray, πλανᾶσθαι, an involuntary wandering about, when one knows not the right way; vagari and palari, on the other hand, mean a voluntary wandering; vagari, like ἀλᾶσθαι, when one disdains a settled residence, or straight path, and wanders about unsteadily; palari (from pandere?) when one separates from one’s company, and wanders about alone. Erramus ignari, vagamur soluti, palamur dispersi. Tac. H. i. 68. Undique populatio et cædes; ipsi in medio vagi; abjectis armis magna pars, saucii aut palantes in montem Vocetiam perfugiunt. (i. 89.)
Conjugation conjugation 1
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | errō | errābam | errābō | errāvī | errāveram errāram | errāverō errārō |
| 2nd sg. | errās | errābās | errābis | errāvistī errāstī | errāverās errārās | errāveris errāris |
| 3rd sg. | errat | errābat | errābit | errāvit errāt | errāverat errārat | errāverit errārit |
| 1st pl. | errāmus | errābāmus | errābimus | errāvimus errāmus | errāverāmus errārāmus | errāverimus errārimus |
| 2nd pl. | errātis | errābātis | errābitis | errāvistis errāstis | errāverātis errārātis | errāveritis errāritis |
| 3rd pl. | errant | errābant | errābunt | errāvērunt errārunt, errāvēre | errāverant errārant | errāverint errārint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | errem | errārem | errāverim errārim | errāvissem errāssem |
| 2nd sg. | errēs | errārēs | errāverīs errārīs | errāvissēs errāssēs |
| 3rd sg. | erret | errāret | errāverit errārit | errāvisset errāsset |
| 1st pl. | errēmus | errārēmus | errāverīmus errārīmus | errāvissēmus errāssēmus |
| 2nd pl. | errētis | errārētis | errāverītis errārītis | errāvissētis errāssētis |
| 3rd pl. | errent | errārent | errāverint errārint | errāvissent errāssent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | error | errābar | errābor |
| 2nd sg. | errāris errāre | errābāris errābāre | errāberis errābere |
| 3rd sg. | errātur | errābātur | errābitur |
| 1st pl. | errāmur | errābāmur | errābimur |
| 2nd pl. | errāminī | errābāminī | errābiminī |
| 3rd pl. | errantur | errābantur | errābuntur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | errer | errārer |
| 2nd sg. | errēris errēre | errārēris errārēre |
| 3rd sg. | errētur | errārētur |
| 1st pl. | errēmur | errārēmur |
| 2nd pl. | errēminī | errārēminī |
| 3rd pl. | errentur | errārentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | errā | errāre |
| pres. 2nd pl. | errāte | errāminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | errātō | errātor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | errātō | errātor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | errātōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | errantō | errantor |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | errāre | errārī |
| perfect infinitive | errāvisse errāsse | errātum esse |
| future infinitive | errātūrum esse | errātum īrī |
| present participle | errāns errante, errantem, errantēs, errantī, errantia, errantibus, errantis, errantīs, errantium | — |
| perfect participle | — | errātus errāta, errātā, errātae, errātam, errātārum, errātās, errātī, errātōrum, errātōs |
| future participle | errātūrus errātūra, errātūrā, errātūrae, errātūram, errātūrārum, errātūrās, errātūre, errātūrī, errātūrīs, errātūrō, errātūrōrum, errātūrōs, errātūrum | errandus |
gerunderrandī, errandō, errandumsupineerrātum, errātū
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- opinionis error
- erroneous opinion.
- vehementer errare
- to be in gross error, seriously misled.
- erranti viam monstrare
- to direct a person who has lost his way.
- stellae errantes, vagae
- the planets.
- error longe lateque diffusus
- a wide-spread error.
- temporibus errare (Phil. 2. 9. 23)
- to make a chronological mistake.
- saepe (crebro, multa) peccavit, erravit, lapsus est
- he has made several mistakes.
erro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. n. and a.
I. [root er-, to go; desiderative forms, ἔρχομαι (ἐρσκ-); and Lat. (ers-o) erro, to seek to reach; hence, to wander; cf. Germ. irren; Engl. err, etc., v. Georg Curtius Gr. Etym. p. 546 sq.].
I. Neutr.
A. In gen.
1. Prop., to wander, to wander or stray about, to wander up and down, to rove (freq. and class.; cf.
vagor, palor): propter te errans patria careo, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 16; cf.: cum vagus et exsul erraret, Cic. Clu. 62, 175: ignari hominumque locorumque Erramus vento huc et vastis fluctibus acti, Verg. A. 1, 333; cf. id. ib. 1, 32; 3, 200; Ov. M. 3, 175; id. F. 2, 335 et saep.: circum villulas nostras, Cic. Att. 8, 9, 3: pios per lucos, Hor. C. 3, 4, 7: inter audaces lupus errat agnos, id. ib. 3, 18, 13; cf. of beasts, id. S. 1, 8, 35; id. Epod. 2, 12; Verg. E. 1, 9; 2, 21; 6, 40; id. G. 4, 11 et saep.—Pass. impers.: male tum Libyae solis erratur in agris, Verg. G. 3, 249.—Prov.: in media luce errare, Sen. Ben. 5, 6, 3.—b. Transf., of inanimate things:
(stellae) quae errantes et quasi vagae nominantur, Cic. Rep. 1, 14; so of the planets, id. N. D. 2, 20; 3, 20; id. Tusc. 1, 25, 62; Plin. 2, 6, 4, § 12; Vulg. Jud. 13; cf. of the motion of the stars in gen., Hor. Ep. 1, 12, 17: Cocytus errans flumine languido, id. C. 2, 14, 18; cf. Verg. G. 3, 14: errantesque per altum Cyaneae, Val. Fl. 4, 561: hic lintres errare videres, Ov. F. 2, 391: vidi ad frontem sparsos errare capillos, i. e. flying about, Prop. 2, 1, 7; cf. id. 2, 22, 9: errantia lumina, i. e. moving fitfully about, Prop. 3, 14, 27 (4, 13, 27 M.); cf. Stat. Th. 10, 150: pulmonibus errat Ignis edax, i. e. spreads, runs about, Ov. M. 9, 201 et saep.—2. Trop., to wander, stray at random: ne vagari et errare cogatur oratio, Cic. de Or., 48, 209; cf.: erraus et vaga sententia (opp. stabilis certaque), id. N. D. 2, 1, 2:
eo fit, ut errem et vager latius, id. Ac. 2, 20, 66: ut ingredi libere, non ut licenter videatur errare, id. Or. 23, 77: errans opinio (opp. stabilis conscientia), id. Fin. 2, 22, 71: dubiis affectibus errat, Ov. M. 8, 473: ne tuus erret honos, be in doubt, uncertain, id. F. 1, 468; cf. id. ib. 3, 543.— Poet., with a rel.-clause: erro, quam insistas viam, I am uncertain, in doubt, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 197; cf.: inter recens et vetus sacramentum, i. e. to hesitate, vacillate, Tac. H. 4, 58.—B. In partic., to miss the right way, to lose one's self, go astray (in the literal sense rarely, but in the trop. freq. and class.).
1. Lit.: homo qui erranti comiter monstrat viam, Enn. ap. Cic. Off. 1, 16, 51:
errare viā, Verg. A. 2, 739: maledictus qui errare facit caecum in itinere, Vulg. Deut. 27, 18.—2. Trop., to wander from the truth, to err, mistake:
avius errat Saepe animus, Lucr. 3, 463; cf. id. 2, 740: totā erras viā, Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 14; cf.: in eo non tu quidem totà re, sed temporibus errasti, Cic. Phil. 2, 9 fin.: longe, Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 40; cf. procul, Sall. J. 85, 38 Kritz. N. cr.: errant probe, Plaut. Am. 3, 3, 20: vehementer, Cic. Ac. 2, 32, 103: valde, id. de Or. 2, 19, 83 et saep.: errare malo cum Platone quam cum istis vera sentire, Cic. Tusc. 1, 17, 39; cf. id. Balb. 28, 64: erras, si id credis, Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 53; so with si, id. Hec. 4, 4, 60; Caes. B. G. 5, 41, 5; 7, 29, 2 et saep.: de nostris verbis errat, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 22: in aliqua re, Quint. 6, 3, 112; 10, 2, 21; 11, 1, 81 al.: in alteram partem, id. 10, 1, 26; cf.: in alienos fetus, Liv. 31, 12, 8.—Less freq. with acc. of a neutr. pronoun: mone, quaeso, si quid erro, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 30; so with quid, Ter. And. 3, 2, 18; Quint. 2, 5, 16; 2, 3, 11; 2, 6, 6: hoc, Ter. Phorm. 5, 3, 21.—Poet. also with the acc. of a noun: errabant tempora, i. e. in chronology, Ov. F. 3, 155.— Pass. impers.: si fuit errandum, Ov. H. 7, 109: si nihil esset erratum, Quint. 6, 5, 7: si erratur in nomine, Cic. Fin. 4, 20 fin.; cf.: tutius circa priores erratur, Quint. 2, 5, 26: uno verbo esse erratum, id. 7, 3, 17. —Sometimes, in a palliative manner, of moral error, to err through mistake: pariter te errantem et illum sceleratissimum persequi, Sall. J. 102, 5; cf. id. ib. 104, 4. —Hence, b. errātum, i, n., an error, mistake, fault:
illud de Flavio et fastis, si secus est, commune erratum est, Cic. Att. 6, 1, 18; cf. id. ib. 13, 44 fin.: cujus errato nulla venia, recte facto exigua laus proponitur, id. Agr. 2, 2, 5; id. Fam. 5, 20, 8: nullum ob totius vitae non dicam vitium, sed erratum, id. Clu. 48; cf. id. Lig. 1; id. Sull. 23; and in plur., id. Fam. 16, 21, 2; Sall. J. 102, 10; Ov. Pont. 2, 3, 66.—II. Act. in Aug. poets (only in part. perf.), to wander over or through:
immensum est erratas dicere terras, Ov. F. 4, 573: ager, id. ib. 3, 655: orbis, Val. Fl. 4, 447: litora, Verg. A. 3, 690.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
errō āvī, ātus, āre,
to wander, stray, rove, roam: cum vagus et exsul erraret: non certis passibus, O.: circum villulas nostras: per urbem, L.—Pass impers.: solis erratur in agris, V.—Of things: quae (stellae) errantes nominarentur, planets: Stellae sponte suā iussaene errent, H.: ubi flexibus errat Mincius, V.: pulmonibus errat Ignis edax, spreads, O.: extremus si quis super halitus errat, flutters, V.: errantibus oculis, wavering, V.: relegens errata retrorsus Litora, V.: erratas dicere terras, O.—To miss the way, lose oneself, go astray: qui erranti monstrat viam, Enn. ap. C.: errare viā, V.—Fig., to wander, stray at random: ne errare cogatur oratio: errans sententia: dubiis adfectibus errat, O.: ne tuus erret honos, be in doubt, O.—To be in error, err, mistake, go wrong, go astray: de nostris verbis, T.: totā viā, T.: non totā re, sed temporibus: procul, S.: valde: cum Platone: errare, si sperent, etc., Cs.: te errantem persequi, S.: errans in ahenos fetūs natura, producing monsters, L.: Teneo quid erret, T.: errabant tempora, in chronology, O.— Pass impers.: si fuit errandum, O.: si erratur in nomine: et in cognomine erratum sit, L.
Origins
Perhaps from Proto-Italic *erzāō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ers-eh₂ye-ti, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ers-. De Vaan suggests that the denominative was likely formed to a base noun *h₁ers-o/h₂- (“erring, error”). It is perhaps possible that the same denominative formation is continued by Old Armenian եռամ (eṙam, “to boil, bubble”). Nussbaum alternatively suggests that it may have emerged as a denominative to an s-present from *h₁r̥sḱéti (“to go to, to arrive”).
Descendants
- Catalanerrar
- Italianerrare
- Occitanerrar
- Frencherrerfrom Old French errer
- Englisherrfrom Old French errer
- Portugueseerrar
- Portugueseerro
- Spanisherrar
- Spanishyerro
- Galicianerrar