affluens

Forms

affluēns (genitive affluentis, comparative affluentior); third-declension one-termination adjective^[1] It is also written adfluens.^[1][2]

Etymology

Used as an adjective, it is the present participle from Latin affluō (“to flow towards; to abound”).^[1][2][3] The verb is formed from ad- and fluō (“to flow”),^[4] which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *flow-e/o- and Proto-Indo-European *bʰleuH- (“to flow (over)”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first example is in Laevius, of a girl abounding in Asiatic finery.^[1][3]

Semantic evolution

With an ablative it meant “abounding in, rich in”, and also “overflowing with, excessively full of”: Cicero speaks of learned men overflowing with leisure and talent, and Suetonius of a senate swollen with a disorderly crowd of members.^[1] Used absolutely it meant “abundant, plentiful”, of water in Vitruvius, of sumptuous banquets, and in rhetoric of a copious style;^[1] ex affluenti meant “in abundance”.^[1] Of persons it meant “luxurious”, and Tacitus uses it of circumstances that are prosperous and favourable.^[1]

In Christian Latin Paulinus of Nola praises letters as eloquent and affluentes.^[6] English took it from Old French or directly from Latin in the early 15th century as affluent, “abounding, copious”.^[4]

Timeline

• 2nd/1st century BC – Laevius describes a girl rich in Asiatic finery.^[1][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of learned men overflowing with leisure.^[1][3]
• c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius uses the comparative of plentiful water.^[1][3]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of prosperous circumstances.^[1][3]
• early 15th century – English borrows it as affluent.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (with ablative) Flowing with, abounding or rich in.^[1][2]
2. (with ablative) Overflowing with, excessively full of.^[1]
3. Abundant, plentiful;^[1] (of a banquet) sumptuous;^[1] ex affluenti, in abundance.^[1]
4. (rhetoric) Copious.^[1]
5. (of persons) Luxurious.^[1]
6. Prosperous, favourable.^[1]

Word family

• affluenter
• affluentia

Related words

• English affluent

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften