Etymologically
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comicus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkoː.mɪ.kʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkɔː.mi.kus][1]

Forms

cōmicus (feminine cōmica, neuter cōmicum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek κωμικός (kōmikós, “of comedy”), from ⟨kōmōidía⟩ “comedy”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of comedy and of a comic actor.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it meant of comedy, comic, and typical of comedy, as in Plautus, and Cicero has poēta cōmicus and adulēscēns cōmicus “a young man out of a comedy”.[2][4][5] As a noun it meant a comic actor, as in Plautus, and a writer of comedies, as in Varro.[2]

British Medieval Latin used it for comic and as a noun for a comedian or comic playwright, especially Terence.[6] It gave English comic in the late 14th century, “of comedy as distinct from tragedy”.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][3]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of comic poets.[2][3]
  • late 14th century – English comic is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of comedy, comic.[2]

Noun

  1. A comic actor.[2]
  2. A comic poet.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com