Etymologically
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cupiens

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Forms

cupiēns (genitive cupientis, comparative cupientior, superlative cupientissimus); third-declension one-termination adjective[1][2]

Etymology

It is the present participle of cupiō (“to desire”), used as an adjective.[1][3][4] De Vaan traces that verb to Proto-Italic *kup-i- and Proto-Indo-European *kup-(e)i- (“to tremble, desire”), and compares Sanskrit कुप्यति (kupyati) and Lithuanian kūpė́ti (“to simmer, boil”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler records it first in Plautus,[6] who uses it with a genitive of the person or thing desired, as nuptiarum “of marriage” and tui “of you”.[4]

Semantic evolution

It means desirous, eager, anxious,[1] usually with a genitive: Ennius has cupientes regni, “eager to reign”,[2][4] and Tacitus liberorum, bonarum artium and novarum rerum.[4] Georges notes that it can have the bad sense of lusting after something.[4] Sallust has the superlative in cupientissuma plebe consul factus, “he was made consul with the people most eager for it”.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it with the genitive of what is desired.[4][6]
  • 204–169 BC – Ennius writes cupientes regni.[2][6]
  • 86–34 BC – Sallust uses the superlative cupientissuma.[2][6]
  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of desire for children and for political change.[4][6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Desirous, eager, anxious, usually with the genitive.[1][4]
  2. Lusting after something.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  6. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de