contemno

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kɔnˈtɛm.noː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [konˈtɛm.no]^[1]

Forms

contemnō (present infinitive contemnere, perfect active contempsī or contemsī, supine contemptum or contemtum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.^[1] It is formally con- and temnō “to despise”, but de Vaan argues that ⟨temnō⟩ is a back-formation from ⟨contemnō⟩, which is attested much earlier.^[1][2] Wiktionary derives it from a nasal-infix verb from Proto-Indo-European *temh₁- (“to cut”).^[1] Lewis and Short note the spelling ⟨contempnō⟩.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of despising.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to regard with contempt, despise, look down on, as in Plautus and Cicero's “do not think these things trifling”, also oneself, and to scorn or insult, as in Terence.^[2][5] It meant to treat as unimportant, disregard, as in Plautus, poetically of things to defy, as in Lucretius, and to keep away from, as in Virgil.^[2] Döderlein says one contemnit great and fearful things such as danger and death, one dēspicit what is beneath one, and one spernit what should be rejected.^[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to despise, disdain, defy, disregard.^[7] English contemn came in the mid-15th century, and English contempt from its noun contemptus in the late 14th century.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of despising.^[2][4]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of insulting.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of thinking trifling.^[5][4]
• late 14th century – English contempt is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To despise, look down on.^[2]
2. To scorn, insult.^[2]
3. To disregard; to defy.^[2]
4. To keep away from.^[2]

Word family

• contemnificus
• contemptibilis
• contemptim
• contemptiō
• contemptor
• contemptrīx
• contemptus
• contumāx
• contumēlia

Related words

• temnō
• dēspiciō
• spernō
• English contempt
• English contemn

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com