contemplor

Contemplor is a Latin deponent verb meaning to contemplate, behold, observe, or reflect upon. As a deponent, it has passive-looking forms but active meaning in the present system. It belongs to the first conjugation; its principal parts are contemplor, contemplari, contemplatus sum. In use, the present indicative forms appear with passive endings: contemplor (I contemplate), contemplaris (you contemplate), contemplatur (he contemplates), contemplamur (we contemplate), contemplamini (you all contemplate), contemplantur (they contemplate). The perfect form is contemplatus sum (I have contemplated), with other tenses formed from this stem.

The etymology is not certain, but the verb is historically linked to the act of looking or beholding. The noun contemplatio, derived from the same root, means contemplation and has yielded English terms such as contemplation and contemplative.

In classical Latin, contemplor occurs in philosophical, religious, and literary contexts, often in discussions of observation, meditation, or reflection. It is frequently cited in grammars as an example of a deponent verb, illustrating how form can be passive while the meaning remains active.

See also: contemplation, contemplatio, contemplative, Latin verbs, deponent verbs.