Etymologically
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aperte

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [aˈpɛr.teː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [aˈpɛr.te][1]

Forms

apertē (comparative apertius, superlative apertissimē)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from apertus (“open”), the past participle of aperiō (“to open”), with the adverb ending -ē.[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨aperiō⟩ to Proto-Italic *ap-wer-je- (“to open”), with ⟨ap-⟩ “off” and Proto-Indo-European *h₂wer- (“to cover”), so properly “to uncover”; the root is that of Sanskrit वृणोति (vṛṇóti, “covers”) and Lithuanian atvérti (“to open”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Plautus' Bacchides gold is carried off before its owners' eyes, palam atque apertē, “publicly and openly”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

It means without concealment, openly, and against occultē it is outward show: Cicero's false friend praises him openly and envies him in secret.[2] With verbs of speaking it is frankly, outspokenly (Naevius: apertē dīce, “say it plainly”), and clearly or in so many words.[2] It is also so as to leave no doubt, manifestly, as in Cicero's “manifestly false”.[2]

Church Latin glosses it “openly, plainly”, with the comparative apertius “more openly”.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus in the sense “openly”.[2][4]
  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius of speaking frankly.[2][4]
  • 220–130 BC – Pacuvius of speaking clearly.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero in the sense “manifestly”.[2][4]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Openly, publicly; in outward show.[2][1][5]
  2. Frankly, plainly; clearly, explicitly.[2][1]
  3. Manifestly, obviously.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson