Ye shall compass the city--and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times. Josh. 6. For ye compass sea and land. Math. 23. 4. To besiege; to beleaguer; to block up. This is not a different sense, but a particular application. Thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side. Luke 19. 5.
The people so classified also were categorized collectively as gente de razn, a term that literally means people of reason, but was originally used to designate non-Spaniards and especially people of mixed genetic heritage who were able to speak the Spanish language.
Do you make going to the store to buy groceries a fascinating experience? Do you offer witty observations of the people you pass on the street? If so, you're a raconteur, someone who can regale his or her listeners with riveting stories, usually funny, sometimes dramatic. Raconteur comes from the French word raconter, meaning to recount.. Note its eur ending, signaling its French origin.