Etymologically
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contentus

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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]

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