Etymologically
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blandimentum

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Forms

blandīmentum n (genitive blandīmentī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin blandior (“to flatter”) + -mentum.[2][1][3] De Vaan lists it with blandior under blandus “flattering”, whose etymology he calls uncertain: Schrijver connects it with Greek and Irish words for soft, while Ernout and Meillet think of a flattering voice and a link with balbus.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus,[4] in whom someone says he has been ruined by another's blandishments.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

It is coaxing behaviour, cajolery, flattery, usually in the plural;[2][5] Lewis & Short note that it is frequent in Tacitus.[2][5] Cicero says virtue will not be corrupted by threats or blandishments.[5] It is also an inducement or favour: Livy has many favours given to the plebs by the senate.[2] In the plural it is an allurement or delight: Cicero says nature herself has produced many delights for us.[2] Grattius uses it of treats for a dog.[2] Nonius notes that it is neuter.[3] In medieval Latin it is also a favour or permission and a payment due for obtaining it.[6] Church Latin glosses it allurement, flattery, fawning.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of ruinous blandishments.[2][4][8]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of virtue and of the delights of nature.[2][5][8]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of favours to the plebs.[2][8]
  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it often.[5][8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (usually plural) Coaxing, cajolery, blandishment, flattery.[2][5][1][7]
  2. An inducement, favour.[2]
  3. An allurement, charm, delight; a treat.[2][1]
  4. (Medieval Latin) A favour, permission; a payment for obtaining permission.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de