disputo

Disputo is a Latin verb of the first conjugation meaning to argue, discuss, dispute, or weigh a point; to examine a proposition; and, in some usages, to quarrel. The verb can convey presenting reasons for or against something in a debate, or conducting a test of ideas. The present active indicative is disputo; its principal parts are disputo, disputare, disputavi, disputatus. The corresponding noun disputatio, disputationis, denotes the act or session of disputing and is widely used in medieval scholarship to refer to formal debates conducted as part of the curriculum.

Etymology: from dis- (apart, thoroughly) and putare (to think, reckon), literally “to weigh thoroughly.”

Usage and context: In classical Latin, disputo appears in rhetorical, philosophical, and legal discussions signaling argument or examination of arguments. In scholastic Latin, disputatio became a central pedagogical method, involving a proposition, a disputant, and opponents who pose objections and require answers. The term and its related forms were central to university teaching and the evaluation of student understanding in a formal disputation setting.

See also: disputation, disputatio, scholasticism, dialectic, argumentation.