calumniosus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ka.ɫʊm.niˈoː.sʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ka.lum.niˈɔː.s̬us]^[1]

Forms

calumniōsus (feminine calumniōsa, neuter calumniōsum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin calumnia (“trickery, false accusation”) + -ōsus.^[2][1][3] ⟨calumnia⟩ is from ⟨*kalwomnia⟩, from calvor (“to deceive”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *kalwe/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₂l-u- or, with the LIV, ⟨*ḱlh₁-u-⟩ “to call”.^[4][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Among the OLD's earliest citations are the jurist Gaius and Apuleius, and Lewis & Short call it post-Augustan.^[2][5] Köbler dates Gaius 140–180 AD.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant one who makes groundless accusations, full of tricks, as in the jurists' definition of one who knowingly brings a false charge; and of actions vexatious, misrepresenting, false, as in Gaius, and Augustine has the superlative.^[2][5][7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant calumnious, false, deceitful.^[8] Medieval Latin used it for insulting, contested, accused.^[9] English calumnious (late 15th century, “slanderous”) is from it.^[3]

Timeline

• 140–180 AD – Gaius uses it.^[2][6]
• c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses it.^[2][6]
• late 15th century – English calumnious is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Making groundless accusations, tricky.^[2][5]
2. (of actions) Vexatious, false.^[2]

Related words

• calumnia
• calumniōsē
• English calumnious

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
9. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill