On synonymic uses and possible explanation of parallel semantic development of Latin <i>ambitus</i> and <i>ambitio</i>
The semantic difference between Latin ambitus and ambitio has been amply described in Classical research and lexicography: the meanings of the former word usually lie in physical or political sphere; the latter is mainly attested as a quality of ethical domain. Yet, multiple occurrences of both words being used in the same sense either by the same author, or in the same historical period, or in different periods of Latin language history have been registered. In fact, almost all lexicographically formalized meanings of either of the words have been attested in the usage of both of them. All of these meanings are tightly connected with the semantics of the verb ambire ‘to go around’, ‘to canvass for votes’ used mostly in physical or political domain, and the connection with either of those groups of meaning is visible throughout the history of Latin language. At least, the traces of interpretation of the prefix amb ( i )- are preservered in all of them, including abstract meanings, e.g. ‘ambition’, ‘striving’ and ‘pomp’, which are secondary to the ones of political sphere. The early period of Latin literature provides examples of interchangeability of ambitus and ambitio . It is not unusual for the Latin language to have deverbative nouns with suffixes - tu - and - ti - develop the same or very similar semantic of nomina actionis. The research shows that the case of ambitus and ambition should be interpreted rather as a deviation from this tendency, which has occurred due to extralinguistic reasons.