Etymologically
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cupide

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Forms

cupidē (comparative cupidius, superlative cupidissimē)[1]

Etymology

It is the adverb of cupidus (“eager, desirous”), with the ending -ē.[2][1] The adjective is from cupiō (“to desire”), which de Vaan derives from Proto-Italic *kup-i- and a PIE present Proto-Indo-European *kup-(e)i- (“to tremble, desire”), cognate with Sanskrit कुप्यति (kupyati) and Lithuanian kūpėti (“to simmer, boil”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest quotation is Plautus, “why do you want that so eagerly?”;[2] Köbler gives Terence.[4]

Semantic evolution

It is eagerly, zealously or with alacrity, and also over-eagerly, hastily or rashly, as Ennius' warning not to give the whole cause away by rash hope.[2] In the Rhetorica ad Herennium it is partially or with bias, of speaking and arguing for a side.[2] The comparative is cupidius, the superlative cupidissimē.[2][1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of wanting something eagerly.[2][4]
  • 204–169 BC – Ennius of hoping rashly.[2][4]
  • 190–159 BC – In Terence.[4]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Eagerly, zealously, with alacrity.[2][1]
  2. Over-eagerly, hastily, rashly.[2]
  3. Partially, with bias.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de