benignus

Forms

benignus (feminine benigna, neuter benignum, comparative benīgnior, superlative benīgnissimus, adverb benignē or benigniter); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is a compound of ⟨beni-⟩, a form of bene (“well”) (from bonus (“good”)), and ⟨-gnus⟩ from gignō (“to beget”), so “of good birth or nature”; compare malignus (“malicious”) and prīvignus (“stepson”).^[2][3][4][1] Paul's epitome of Festus already explains it as made of ⟨bonus⟩ and ⟨gignere⟩.^[4] De Vaan derives ⟨bene⟩ from an ablative ⟨*duenēd⟩ of bonus, Old Latin ⟨duenos⟩, from Proto-Italic *dweno- (“good”), and ⟨gignō⟩ from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“to engender”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus is its first author,^[6] with quaesō ut benignīs accipiātis auribus, “I beg you to listen with kindly ears”, in the prologue of the Menaechmi, and the man who is “generous rather than thrifty” in the Truculentus.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It is kind or beneficent, and open-handed or generous, as in Plautus; in law it is lenient or equitable.^[2][3] Of things it is beneficial or favourable, as Horace's Tantalus “in want of a kindly meal”, and in poetry copious or abundant, as Horace's “a rich vein of talent”.^[2][1]

The TLL records Benignus as a cognomen and Christian name, and Wiktionary as a medieval given name.^[4][1] Church Latin glosses it “merciful, loving, good, gracious, benign, kindly, favorable”.^[7] English benign came from it through Old French in the early 14th century.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of kindly ears and of a generous man.^[2][6]
• 65–8 BC – Horace of a kindly meal and a rich vein of talent.^[2][6]
• early 14th century – English benign, through Old French.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Kind, beneficent, friendly.^[2][3][1][7]
2. Generous, open-handed, liberal.^[2][1]
3. (law) Lenient, equitable.^[2]
4. (of things) Beneficial, favourable; propitious.^[2][1]
5. (poetic) Copious, abundant; fertile.^[2][1]

Word family

• benignitās
• benignor
• benignē
• benigniter

Related words

• malignus
• gignō
• bonus
• English benign

Usage notes

Döderlein contrasts it with largus: largus is anyone who gives richly, from whatever motive, while benignus, līberālis and mūnificus name virtuous qualities.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
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. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper