curiose

Forms

cūriōsē (comparative cūriōsius, superlative cūriōsissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin cūriōsus (“careful; curious”) + -ē.^[1][2][3] The adjective is formed from cūra (“care, anxiety”), whose further origin de Vaan finds uncertain; he considers Proto-Italic *kwois-ā- (“care, watch”) and a link with Proto-Indo-European *kwei-s- (“to heed”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,^[3] who writes in the Brutus conquiram ista posthac curiosius, “I will look into these things more carefully later”.^[1][5]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense is carefully or attentively: Vitruvius has things arranged carefully and precisely, Celsus wrapping someone carefully in clothes, and Pliny the Younger a letter written with more care.^[1][6] It could also mean elaborately: Quintilian speaks of people who talk elaborately rather than in good Latin, and Apuleius of ceilings carefully hollowed out in citrus wood and ivory.^[1][5]

The second sense is inquisitively: Cicero says that those who ask what he himself thinks on every question are more curious than they need be.^[1][6] Gellius and Apuleius use it the same way.^[1] In British Medieval Latin it means carefully, from Bede on, elaborately, and in an extravagant style.^[7]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it for both “carefully” and “inquisitively”.^[1][3]
• c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius uses it of careful arrangement.^[1][3]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of affected, elaborate speech.^[1][5][3]
• c. 165 AD – Gellius uses it of curious listening.^[1][3]
• 1st third of the 8th century AD – Bede uses it for “carefully”.^[7][3]

Meanings

Adverb

1. With care, carefully, attentively.^[1][6]
2. Elaborately; with affectation.^[1][5]
3. With curiosity, inquisitively.^[1][6]
4. (Medieval Latin) In an extravagant style, luxuriously.^[7]

Related words

• cūriōsus
• cūra

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
3. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
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 d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ a b c 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