Etymologically
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blande

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈbɫan.deː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈblan.de][1]

Forms

blandē (comparative blandius, superlative blandissimē)[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin blandus (“flattering, charming”) + -ē.[2][1] The origin of blandus is uncertain: de Vaan rejects the link with mollis (“soft”) as phonetically impossible, reports Schrijver's preform *mlh₂-d-no-, which would connect Ancient Greek μαλακός (malakós, “soft”) and Old Irish mláith (“soft”), and mentions Ernout and Meillet's idea of a flattering voice, which would bring in balbus (“stammering”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Naevius.[4]

Semantic evolution

It means in a coaxing or winning way, charmingly or seductively.[2] Seneca uses it of things that draw one on seductively, and Pliny the Elder of a bark that pleases the eye more than any other.[5] The Vulgate's Proverbs says that wine goes down smoothly but at the last bites like a snake, and Ammianus has a bird fluttering soothingly round a resting beast.[5] Plautus and Titinius have the older adverb blanditer.[5] The TLL lists amīcē, benignē, leniter and molliter beside it, and minaciter, saeviter and sevērē as its opposites.[5] Church Latin glosses it softly, tenderly, caressingly.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.[4]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca the Younger of seductive things.[5][4]
  • 390–406 AD – the Vulgate of wine going down smoothly.[5][4]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. In a coaxing or winning way, charmingly, persuasively, seductively; flatteringly.[2][1]
  2. Softly, tenderly, courteously.[6][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e f Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson