texere

Texere is a Latin verb meaning to weave, braid, or plait. It also covers the broader sense of fashioning or constructing, including the creation of textiles, nets, or woven structures, and, by extension, the act of composing or devising something such as a narrative, argument, or plan.

Grammar and principal parts: Texere is a third-conjugation verb. Its four principal parts are texo, texere, texi, textum. In the present active, forms include texō, texis, texit, teximus, texitis, texunt. The present passive forms are texor, texeris, texitur, teximur, teximini, texuntur. The supine is textum, and the perfect passive participle is textus. The agent noun for a weaver is textor.

Derivatives and related terms: The root gave several Latin derivatives that entered English and other languages. Textus denotes fabric or woven material; textura and textilis mean woven, woven fabric, or texture. From these, English words such as textile and texture derive, reflecting the word’s textile and structural associations. The noun textor (the weaver) is a common Latin occupation noun related to the verb.

Usage and scope: In classical Latin, texere described literal weaving of cloth and nets. Metaphorically, it could mean weaving together thoughts, arguments, or plots, reflecting a broader sense of crafting or shaping something from many parts. The verb appears in poetic and prose contexts to convey both tangible weaving and the act of construction or composition.

See also: Textile, texture, textus. The verb's legacy remains in the vocabulary of textiles and in the metaphorical sense of weaving ideas or narratives.