transire

Transire is a Latin verb meaning to go across, cross, or pass over. It covers both the literal crossing of a space (such as a river or border) and more abstract movement, such as passing through a period of time or reaching a threshold. In classical Latin it appears in narrative and descriptive prose, as well as in military, legal, and ceremonial contexts.

Usage: Transire takes a direct object in the accusative to specify what is crossed, for example transire flūmen (to cross the river) or transire pontem (to cross the bridge). It can express direction with prepositions to indicate destination or route, such as transire in urbem (to go into the city) or transire per silvam (to go through the forest). It also denotes passage of time, as tempus transire (time passes). Figuratively, it may indicate moving beyond an obstacle or limit or advancing to a new state.

Etymology and descendants: The word is built from the prefix trans- meaning across and the verb ire meaning to go. Latin trans- with -ire yields a class of verbs, and its noun form transitus means a crossing or passage. The participle transiens and the supine transitum contribute to English derivatives such as transit and transient; many Romance languages inherit cognate verbs, such as Italian transire and Spanish transitar. The term remains common in historical, religious, and linguistic discussions of Latin roots.