volvere

Volvere is a Latin verb meaning to roll, turn, or revolve. In classical usage it covers both physical motion—rolling a wheel, turning a channel or road—and more abstract senses such as turning over in the mind, unfolding events, or recapitulating a sequence of actions. The verb belongs to the third conjugation and is typically cited by its principal parts: volvo, volvere, volvi, volutus.

In usage, volvere extends beyond simple rolling to include turning or passing through in various senses. It appears in common compounds with prefixes such as devolvere (to roll down or turn aside), evolvere (to unroll or unfold), and involvere (to wrap up or involve). It is also employed in figurative expressions involving mental or temporal movement, for example turning over ideas or events as time advances.

Etymologically, volvere derives from a Proto-Italic root related to turning or rolling and is cognate with Romance-language verbs such as Italian volgere and Spanish volver. The Latin form gave rise to a number of English derivatives, including volume (from volumen, the roll or scroll), revolve and revolution (from revolvere and revolutio), and voluble or volatility through related adjectives such as volubilis and volubility.

This overview presents volvere as a versatile Latin verb central to concrete motion and figurative expression, with a broad family of derivatives in English and Romance languages.