Etymologically
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eventus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [eːˈwɛn.tʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [eˈvɛn.tus][1]

Forms

ēventus m (genitive ēventūs); fourth declension[1]

Etymology

It is from ēveniō “to come out, happen” with the suffix of action nouns -tus.[2][1][3] The OLD notes datives ⟨ēventū⟩, ⟨ēventuī⟩ and ⟨ēventō⟩, the last in inscriptions.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of an outcome and of success.[2] Köbler's first source is Cicero, whom he dates 81–43 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant the outcome of a situation, issue, result, and Cicero defines ēventus as the outcome of any business.[2][5] It meant the fulfilment of a dream or prayer, a successful issue, and personified, Bonus Ēventus, a god of good outcome, as in Varro.[2] From Cicero it also meant what comes about, an occurrence, event, and a person's fate, a sense Lewis and Short call rare but classical.[2][6] Horace uses it of the outcome of a play, and Columella of the issue of growth.[2]

In Medieval Latin it could also mean an arrival.[7] English event came in the 1570s, through French, first as “the consequence of anything”.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of an outcome and of success.[2][4]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro has Bonus Ēventus personified.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of events and fate.[2][6][4]
  • 1570s – English event is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An outcome, issue, result; the fulfilment of a dream or prayer.[2]
  2. A successful issue, success, Bonus Ēventus, Good Outcome personified.[2]
  3. An occurrence, event; fate, lot.[2][6]
  4. The outcome of a play, dénouement.[2]
  5. (Medieval Latin) Arrival.[7]

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 k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com