attente

Forms

attentē (comparative attentius, superlative attentissimē)^[1] It is also spelled adtentē.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin attentus (“attentive”) + -ē.^[2][4][5] The adjective is the participle of attendō (“to direct one's attention”), which de Vaan lists under tendō and traces to Proto-Indo-European *ten-d(ʰ)- (“to stretch”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short first quote Terence, who has the duties of slaves carried out attentively.^[7][5][4]

Semantic evolution

It means with close attention, carefully, with concentration.^[2] Cicero uses it of listening and reading: he pairs it with hearing kindly, says no one was ever heard more kindly and attentively, and notes that hoarse speakers are often listened to most attentively.^[5][7] Köbler dates it from Cicero.^[4]

Timeline

• 190–159 BC – Terence of duties done attentively.^[7][5][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of listening attentively.^[5][7][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Attentively, carefully, with concentration.^[2][7][1][5]

Related words

• attentus
• attendō

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d e f Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
7. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press