ostendo

Ostendo is a Latin verb meaning to show, display, or reveal. It is used transitively, taking a direct object in the accusative to indicate that something is being presented to someone or demonstrated. In classical Latin, ostendo appears in a range of tenses and voices to indicate the act of making something visible, such as presenting evidence, a result, or a scene. The verb is associated with the third conjugation and follows the standard patterns of that class in its main forms.

The principal parts are ostendō, ostendere, ostendī, ostentum, from which other forms such as ostendit (“he shows”) and ostendunt (“they show”) are derived. The infinitive ostendere is used to express the act of showing in non-finite clauses, while other finite forms convey time, aspect, and mood.

Etymology and derivatives: Ostendo derives from the Latin stem ostend-. It has yielded related terms such as ostentātiō (the act of showing, display). From this root, English derivatives include ostentation and ostentatious, which reach English through historical routes from Latin and Old French.

Usage and scope: The verb appears in philosophical, legal, and rhetorical contexts to indicate demonstration or proof. In Latin literature, ostendo helps convey the act of making information visible or evident, and its derivatives have influenced related terms in law, culture, and everyday language.

See also: Ostentation; Ostentatious.