Etymologically
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aspere

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Forms

asperē (comparative asperius, superlative asperrimē)[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin asper (“rough”) + -ē.[2][1][3] De Vaan tentatively traces asper to Proto-Italic *aspi-ro- and Proto-Indo-European *h₂esp-i- (“cutting”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,[3] who writes of speaking without harshness, roughness or rusticity.[2]

Semantic evolution

It is so as to give a rough surface, as Vitruvius' walls to be rough-plastered; with a harsh sound; in an unrefined way, coarsely, as Cicero's man dressed roughly in common dark purple.[2] Most often it means harshly, severely, sternly: Cicero asks who can censure the wicked more harshly.[2] It is also drastically, as in the letters to Caesar ascribed to Sallust, and with accipere or patī to take ill or resent, as in Cicero's letters.[2]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of harsh speech, censure and resentment.[2][3]
  • c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius of rough plastering.[2]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Roughly, with a rough surface; with a harsh sound.[2][1]
  2. Coarsely, in an unrefined way.[2][1]
  3. Harshly, severely, sternly;[2][1] drastically.[2]
  4. asperē accipere, asperē patī: to take ill, resent.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill