adulescens

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [a.dʊˈɫeːs.kẽːs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [a.duˈlɛʃ.ʃens]^[1]

Forms

adulēscēns (genitive adulēscentis, comparative adulēscentior); third-declension one-termination adjective^[1] It is also spelled adolēscēns.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is the participle of adolēscō “to grow up”, with ⟨o⟩ weakened to ⟨u⟩.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations for the adjective are from Cicero and Caesar, of the younger of two men of the same name.^[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it meant young, youthful, and was used of the younger of two members of a family with the same name, as Cicero's Brūtus adulēscēns.^[2] As a noun it meant a young man or woman.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a youth.^[5] Through French or directly from Latin it gave English adolescent, a young person, in the mid-15th century.^[3]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the younger of two men.^[2][4]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of the younger Brutus.^[2][4]
• mid-15th century – English adolescent is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Young, youthful.^[2]
2. The younger (of two of the same name).^[2]

Noun

1. A young man or woman, an adolescent.^[2]

Related words

• adolēscō
• adulēscentia
• iuvenis
• English adolescent

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson