persuasivo

Forms

persuasivo (feminine persuasiva, masculine plural persuasivos, feminine plural persuasivas)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Medieval Latin persuāsīvus (“persuasive”), according to the Academy's current dictionary.^[2] Wiktionary also derives it from Latin.^[1] The 2001 edition and Moliner derive it from persuāsus (“persuaded”), the past participle of persuādeō (“to persuade”), and the editions from 1884 from its supine.^[3][4][5] Corominas lists it under persuadir, taken from the same Latin verb, which is formed with per- from suādeō (“to advise, urge”).^[6][7] Wiktionary traces this verb to a causative of Proto-Indo-European *sweh₂d- (“sweet”), literally “to make sweet”.^[1]

The same word is Italian persuasivo, French persuasif and Catalan persuasiu.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Corominas dates the adjective only to the 17th century, from the quotations of the Diccionario de Autoridades.^[6][7] Boyd-Bowman has it earlier, in a document from Mexico of 1582, which calls something absurd persuasiva a los indios “such as to persuade the Indians” never to think themselves true Christians, and in Mexico City in 1583, of persuasivas y agradables palabras “persuasive and pleasant words”.^[9]

Semantic evolution

The sense has not changed: the Diccionario de Autoridades defines it as having the force and efficacy to persuade, with a quotation on persuasivos discursos, and the Academy has kept that definition.^[10][2] Domínguez added in 1846–1847 the sense of something that wins one over in a sweet, irresistible or seductive way.^[11] The DLE also has the feminine noun persuasiva, the power or faculty of persuading.^[2] Among the related words Corominas dates persuasión to the 15th century.^[6][7]

Timeline

• 1582 – the first record, in a document from Mexico.^[9]
• 1583 – persuasivas y agradables palabras in Mexico City.^[9]
• 17th century – the first record according to Corominas.^[6][7]
• 1705 – razonamiento persuasivo at Potosí.^[9]
• 1726–1739 – the Diccionario de Autoridades defines it, giving Latin persuasorius.^[10]
• 1786–1793 – Terreros gives French persuasif and Italian persuadevole as equivalents.^[12]
• 1884 – the Academy's dictionary gives the etymology from Latin.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. persuasive: having the force and power to persuade or convince: Su tono persuasivo acabó por convencer al tribunal.^[2][1][4]

Noun

1. (feminine, persuasiva) The faculty, power or efficacy of persuading; persuasiveness.^[2]

Related words

• persuadir
• persuasión
• disuasivo
• Latin persuadeo

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Real Academia Española; Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (2014–), Diccionario de la lengua española, 23rd ed., online version 23.8, https://dle.rae.es, p. s.v. persuasivo
3. ^ Real Academia Española (2001), Diccionario de la lengua española, 22nd ed., Madrid: Espasa-Calpe, p. s.v. persuasivo
4. ^ a b Moliner, María (2007), Diccionario de uso del español, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos, p. s.v. persuasivo
5. ^ a b Real Academia Española (1884), Diccionario de la lengua castellana, 12th ed., Madrid: Imprenta de D. Gregorio Hernando (the first Academy edition with etymologies), p. 821
6. ^ a b c d Corominas, Joan; Pascual, José A. (1980–1991), Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico, 6 vols., Madrid: Gredos, p. 4, 503
7. ^ a b c d Corominas, Joan (1973), Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua castellana, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos, p. s.v. persuadir
8. ^ Echegaray, Eduardo de (1887–1889), Diccionario general etimológico de la lengua española, 5 vols., Madrid: José María Faquineto, p. 793
9. ^ a b c d Boyd-Bowman, Peter (2003), Léxico hispanoamericano 1493–1993, ed. Ray Harris-Northall and John J. Nitti, New York: Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies, p. s.v. persuasivo
10. ^ a b Real Academia Española (1726–1739), Diccionario de la lengua castellana (Diccionario de Autoridades), 6 vols., Madrid: Francisco del Hierro, p. 5, 236
11. ^ Domínguez, Ramón Joaquín (1846–1847), Diccionario nacional o gran diccionario clásico de la lengua española, 2 vols., Madrid: Establecimiento Léxico-Tipográfico de R. J. Domínguez, p. 2, 1367
12. ^ Terreros y Pando, Esteban de (1786–1793), Diccionario castellano con las voces de ciencias y artes y sus correspondientes de las tres lenguas francesa, latina e italiana, 4 vols., Madrid: Viuda de Ibarra, p. 3, 110