effuse

Forms

effūsē (comparative effūsius, superlative effūsissimē); adverb^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin effūsus (“poured out; lavish”) + -ē, the adverb of that participle of effundō (“to pour out”).^[1][2] De Vaan traces fundō (“to pour”) to Proto-Italic *χund- and Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰu-n-d- (“to pour”), comparing Ancient Greek χέω (khéō, “to pour”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero.^[2] In his speech for Sextus Roscius a man gave many gifts generously and lavishly.^[1]

Semantic evolution

It is over a wide area: Livy has a raid so widespread that nothing was left untouched.^[1] In military contexts it is in disorder, in loose array: Sallust has men marching carelessly and in scattered order.^[1] It is also without restraint or immoderately: Cicero calls someone so boundlessly insolent.^[1] And it is lavishly or abundantly, as Cicero's gifts.^[1]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero of lavish gifts and of boundless insolence.^[1][2]
• 86–34 BC – Sallust of men marching in loose order.^[1][2]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of a widespread raid.^[1][2]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Over a wide area, extensively.^[1]
2. In disorder, in loose array.^[1][4]
3. Without restraint, immoderately.^[1][4]
4. Lavishly, abundantly.^[1][4]

Related words

• effūsus
• effundō

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. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press