Etymologically
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adulescens

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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]

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