Etymologically
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adulor

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [aˈduː.ɫɔr][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [aˈduː.lor][1]

Forms

adūlor (present infinitive adūlārī, perfect active adūlātus sum); first conjugation, deponent[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[2][1] It has the form of a denominal verb, from ad- and a noun *ūlos (“tail”) that the OLD and Wiktionary compare with Sanskrit वाल (vālá-, “tail-hair”); de Vaan notes that Lithuanian valaĩ (“horse's tail”) and the Sanskrit word point to a root that would not give a Latin long ⟨ū⟩.[3][1][2] He has proposed instead a link with aveō (“to be eager”): an adjective *ad-awiþo- "eager towards" would have become *ad-audo- and then, by dissimilation, *adūlo- "flatterer".[2] Festus thought it a form of allūdō (“to play with”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Cicero, who tells an opponent that he wanted to see him fawning on everyone.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Its basic image is the fawning of animals: Seneca bids us look at wild beasts fawning on their master, and Ovid has a troop of fawning beasts.[3][4] Valerius Maximus uses it of bowing low in the Persian manner.[3] Most often it is to flatter or court someone in a servile way, with an accusative or, more rarely, a dative.[3][4] Lewis & Short contrast it with assentor, to agree with everything someone says, and blandior, to flatter with soft words and winning manners.[4] A declamation ascribed to Quintilian uses it of a face that pleases the eyes.[3]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of a man fawning on everyone.[3][2][5]
  • 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid of fawning beasts.[4][5]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca the Younger of beasts fawning on their master.[3][5]
  • 1777 – English adulate is back-formed from adulation.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. Of dogs and other animals, to fawn upon.[3][4][1]
  2. To make obeisance to.[3][1]
  3. To flatter or court servilely, fawn upon, adulate.[3][4][1]
  4. To please, gratify the sight.[3]

Word family

  • English adulate

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com