Etymologically
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considerate

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Forms

cōnsīderātē (comparative cōnsīderātius, superlative cōnsīderātissimē)[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin cōnsīderātus (“deliberate, cautious”) + -ē, the adverb of the participle of cōnsīderō (“to examine, reflect on”).[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler finds it first in Cicero,[4] who in the De officiis says one should do carefully whatever one does.[5]

Semantic evolution

It means after reflection, carefully, cautiously, the opposite of temere.[2][3] Caesar uses the comparative, and Livy has waging war more cautiously and with more harmony;[3][5][6] Cicero's letters have the superlative.[3][5][6] Stelten gives “considerately”.[7]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero, of acting carefully.[5][4]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar, the comparative.[3][6][4]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy, of waging war cautiously.[3][5][4]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. After consideration, carefully, cautiously, deliberately.[2][1][3][5][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e f Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson