contentus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kɔnˈtɛn.tʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [konˈtɛn.tus]^[1]

Forms

contentus (feminine contenta, neuter contentum, comparative contentior, superlative contentissimus, adverb contentē); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is the perfect participle of contineō “to hold together, contain”, used as an adjective: “holding oneself in, satisfied”.^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source for this sense is Plautus, whom he dates c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant content, satisfied, with an ablative “content with”, as Cicero's parvō contentus “content with little”.^[2][3] Of things it meant self-sufficient, and sē contentus “self-contained”, as in Cicero.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant content, satisfied.^[5] In Medieval Latin it also meant contained in a thing, and the neuter plural contenta the contents.^[6] It survives in French content, Italian contento and Romanian content.^[1] English content came in the early 15th century through Old French and Medieval Latin.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses parvō contentus.^[3][4]
• early 15th century – English content is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Content, satisfied (with).^[2]
2. Self-sufficient, sē contentus, self-contained.^[2]
3. (Medieval Latin) Contained, contenta, contents.^[6]

Related words

• contineō
• contendō
• English content

Usage notes

A different contentus, the participle of contendō, meant strained, tense, as Cicero's contentīs corporibus “with bodies tensed”.^[2][3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com