Etymologically
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densus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈdẽː.sʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdɛn.sus][1]

Forms

dēnsus (feminine dēnsa, neuter dēnsum, comparative dēnsior, superlative dēnsissimus, adverb dēnsē); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[2] De Vaan tentatively reconstructs Proto-Italic *d(e)nso-, from Proto-Indo-European *d(ē̆)ns-o- (“thick”), and compares Ancient Greek δασύς (dasús, “hairy, thick”), with a different stem formation.[3][4][1] Kloekhorst's link with Hittite daššu- (“strong”) is semantically difficult.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus.[3][5] Ennius speaks of an eagle flying with dense wings.[4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant thick, dense or compact, as of feathers, woods or clouds, and then crowded or closely packed, as of soldiers in ranks.[4][6] It also meant frequent or repeated, as of blows, and of writers and style terse or concise, as Quintilian says of Thucydides.[4]

Döderlein contrasts angustus and artus, which refer to narrow space, with dēnsus and spissus, which refer to things packed close together.[7] English dense is from it, and condēnsō gave English condense.[2]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius speaks of an eagle's dense wings.[4][5]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato speaks of balls packed close together.[4][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar speaks of thicker woods.[6][5]
  • early 15th century – English dense is recorded.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Thick, dense, compact.[4]
  2. Crowded, closely packed.[4]
  3. Frequent, repeated.[4]
  4. (of style) Terse, concise.[4]

Word family

  • condēnsus
  • dēnseō
  • dēnsitās
  • dēnsō
  • perdensus
  • praedensus
  • dēnsē
  • English dense
  • English condense

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c 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 e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper