Etymologically
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confidentia

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Forms

cōnfīdentia f (genitive cōnfīdentiae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin cōnfīdēns (“confident, bold”) + -ia,[2][1] the participle of cōnfīdō “to trust firmly”, from con- and fīdō “to trust”.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Naevius, in a tragedy, says all the confidence of speech has fallen away.[2] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC and marks the attestation as uncertain.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant assurance or self-confidence, and a firm belief, often in the phrase cōnfīdentia est with an infinitive, as Plautus' slave is confident he can defeat his enemies.[2][5] In a bad sense it was audacity or impudence, as Plautus asks with what impudence someone demands so much money, and Cato pairs it with audācia.[2] Lewis & Short note that the sense of firm trust is rare, while that of boldness is common.[6]

In medieval Latin it was a sworn promise and, in British documents, trust and letters of credence.[7][8] English confidence is recorded around 1400.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it of confidence of speech.[2][4]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of confidence and impudence.[2][4]
  • c. 1400 – English confidence is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Assurance, self-confidence.[2][1]
  2. A firm belief or expectation.[2]
  3. Boldness, audacity, impudence.[2][1]
  4. (Medieval Latin) A sworn promise; trust.[7][8]

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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b 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