Etymologically
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contumeliosus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kɔn.tʊ.meː.liˈoː.sʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kon.tu.me.liˈɔː.s̬us][1]

Forms

contumēliōsus (feminine contumēliōsa, neuter contumēliōsum, superlative contumēliōsissimus); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from contumēlia “insult” with the suffix -ōsus.[2][1][3] De Vaan takes ⟨contumēlia⟩ as probably the noun of an adjective ⟨*contumēlis⟩ “insulting”, perhaps from tumeō “to be swollen”, through “boasting”.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Terence, whom he dates 190–159 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant insulting, outrageous, humiliating, and of persons abusive, insolent, as in Cicero and Sallust, who have the comparative and superlative.[2][6][7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant contumelious.[8] British Medieval Latin used it for insulting, dishonourable.[9] English contumelious (early 15th century, “contemptuous, insolent”) came through Old French and directly from Latin.[3]

Timeline

  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it.[5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.[6][5]
  • early 15th century – English contumelious is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Insulting, outrageous, humiliating.[2]
  2. (of persons) Abusive, insolent, contumelious.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d 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. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  9. ^ 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