Translation
around, about
Examples
.
There is a wall around the city.
.
The soldiers were standing around the king.
.
They were sitting around the table.
ambulavimus.
We walked around the temple.
.
There were ships all along the shore.
Circum is a preposition taking the accusative, and it doubles as one of the busiest verbal prefixes in the language: circumeo, circumsto, circumvenio, circumscribo. It is the accusative of an old noun meaning a ring, so circum and circa are the same word in different cases.
The division of labour is worth knowing. Circum stays physical, "around, encircling". Circa drifts towards "in the neighbourhood of" and then to approximation with numbers and dates, which is the circa still used in English. In verse circum may follow its noun, and the first time you meet it there it reads like nonsense until you spot what has happened.
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circum: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "circum" (around, about): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 12.