callide

Forms

callidē (comparative callidius, superlative callidissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin callidus (“experienced, clever”) + -ē.^[2][3] De Vaan derives callidus, like calleō (“to be hard; to know how”), from callum “hard skin”, which he traces to an adjective Proto-Italic *kaln/so- (“hard”); its Indo-European origin is uncertain, and he compares Welsh caled (“hard”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first quotations are in Plautus: in the Persa a slave says he began the business wittily and cleverly, and in the Mercator no lover is so cunningly eloquent that he can say what serves him.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It means expertly, skilfully or cleverly: Cicero has people who do something more skilfully from practice, and Nepos says Themistocles judged the future most shrewdly.^[2] With verbs of knowing it is well or thoroughly.^[2] In a bad sense it is cunningly or artfully: Cicero speaks of something done astutely and cunningly, Sallust of a man who cunningly hid his vices, and Tacitus says Mucianus craftily fed old quarrels.^[2] Köbler dates it from Cicero.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus, cleverly and cunningly.^[2][3]
• 190–159 BC – Terence, thoroughly.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero, skilfully and cunningly.^[2][3]
• 86–34 BC – Sallust of vices cunningly hidden.^[2][3]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus of quarrels craftily fed.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Expertly, skilfully, cleverly;^[2][1] with verbs of knowing, well, thoroughly.^[2]
2. Cunningly, artfully, craftily.^[2][1]

Related words

• callidus
• calleō

References

1. ^ a b c 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 c d e f g 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