Etymologically
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clare

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈkɫaː.reː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈklaː.re][1]

Forms

clārē (comparative clārius, superlative clārissimē)[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin clārus (“loud, clear, bright”) + -ē, the adverb of the adjective.[2][1] De Vaan traces clārus to Proto-Italic *klāro- (“loud”) and Proto-Indo-European *kl̥h₁-ro- (“loud, sonorous”); the shift from “loud” to “clear, bright” is also seen in Old High German hel (“loud”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Plautus,[4] who has “I'll talk out loud so he hears what I say”.[2]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense is so as to be clearly heard, out loud, as in Cicero's “in the hearing of all”.[2] It also means clearly to the eye, as Catullus' shining hair, and of seeing, as Plautus' “I see clearly with my eyes”.[2] Of the mind it is clearly or lucidly, as Terence's “tell me plainly”, and Nepos uses it of shining with distinction or honour.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of speaking out loud and seeing clearly.[2][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence of speaking plainly.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of a statement heard by all.[2][4]
  • c. 100–24 BC – Nepos of distinction.[2][4]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Loudly, audibly, out loud.[2][1]
  2. Clearly to the eye, distinctly, brightly.[2][1]
  3. Clearly to the mind, lucidly.[2][1]
  4. With distinction, honourably.[2][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ^ 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 e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de