fateor

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *fatēōr, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to speak”); the stem fat- seemingly comes from Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂-tó-s (“spoken”) (cognate with Ancient Greek φᾰτός (phatós)) or Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂-t- (“who speaks”). Related to Latin for (“I speak, I say”), Latin fātum (“fate”), Latin fāma (“fame, reputation”), Ancient Greek φήμη (phḗmē, “talk”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈfa.te.or/, [ˈfät̪eɔr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈfa.te.or/, [ˈfäːt̪eor]

Verb

fateor (present infinitive fatērī or fatērier, perfect active fassus sum); second conjugation, deponent

1. to confess, admit

   Synonym: profiteor

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 4.20:

     “Anna, fatēbor enim, [...].”

     “Anna — yes, I will admit [it] — [...].”

2. to acknowledge, own

   Synonym: agnōscō

3. to show, indicate

   Synonyms: praebeō, ostendō, ostentō, prōdō, indicō, expōnō, prōpōnō, prōferō, prōtrahō, acclārō, profiteor, vulgō, gerō, coarguō, praestō

Conjugation

Conjugation of fateor (second conjugation, deponent)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	fateor	fatēris, fatēre	fatētur	fatēmur	fatēminī	fatentur
	imperfect	fatēbar	fatēbāris, fatēbāre	fatēbātur	fatēbāmur	fatēbāminī	fatēbantur
	future	fatēbor	fatēberis, fatēbere	fatēbitur	fatēbimur	fatēbiminī	fatēbuntur
	perfect	fassus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	fassus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	fassus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	fatear	fateāris, fateāre	fateātur	fateāmur	fateāminī	fateantur
	imperfect	fatērer	fatērēris, fatērēre	fatērētur	fatērēmur	fatērēminī	fatērentur
	perfect	fassus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	fassus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	fatēre	—	—	fatēminī	—
	future	—	fatētor	fatētor	—	—	fatentor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		fatērī, fatērier1	fassum esse	fassūrum esse	—	—	—
participles		fatēns	fassus	fassūrus	—	—	fatendus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		fatendī	fatendō	fatendum	fatendō	fassum	fassū

¹The present passive infinitive in -ier is a rare poetic form which is attested.

Derived terms

• cōnfiteor
• diffiteor
• fatendus
• profiteor
• īnfitiās ēo
• īnfitior

Further reading

• “fateor”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “fateor”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• fateor in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • I admit it, say on: audio, fateor