Etymologically
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crebro

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Forms

crēbrō (comparative crēbrius, superlative crēbrissimē)[1] Comparative crēbrius, superlative crēberrimē.[2]

Etymology

It is an adverb from crēber “close, frequent”, with -ō.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are Plautus.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant in many places, thickly, densely, as in Plautus and Varro, and more often frequently, repeatedly, as in Cicero's mittere litterās crēbrō “to write very often”.[2][4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of frequent letters.[4][3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Thickly, densely.[2][4]
  2. Frequently, repeatedly, often.[2]

Usage notes

Lewis & Short treat it under crēber.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press