Etymologically
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alacer

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈa.ɫa.kɛr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaː.la.t͡ʃer][1]

Forms

alacer (feminine alacris, neuter alacre, comparative magis alacer or alacrior, superlative maximē alacer or summē alacer or alacerrimus or alacrissimus, adverb alacriter); third-declension three-termination adjective[1] The masculine is also alacris, in Ennius, Terence and Virgil.[2][3][4]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[1] De Vaan considers a derivative of the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂elh₂- (“to wander”) of ambulō “to walk about”, but notes that the meanings do not demand it and the suffix would be rare.[2] Wiktionary takes alacris from an older *alaklis by dissimilation.[1] Georges compared Ancient Greek ἐλαύνω (elaúnō, “to drive”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus uses it.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It was lively, nimble or brisk, as Ennius' band of youths leaping in Bacchic fashion, and eager, keen or cheerful.[3] Terence asks whether someone is sad or cheerful (alacris), and Cicero describes Catiline as lively and glad.[3][7]

In medieval Latin it was cheerful, lively, eager, brave and swift.[8] It survives as Italian alacre, French allègre and Spanish alegre.[1] English alacrity comes from alacritās, and the musical term allegro from Italian.[9]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][6]
  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses alacris of dancing youths.[3][6]
  • mid-15th century – English alacrity is recorded, from alacritās.[9]
  • 1721 – English allegro is recorded as a musical term.[9]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Lively, brisk, nimble, active.[3][4]
  2. Eager, keen; cheerful.[3][7]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  9. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com