facete

Forms

facētē (comparative facētius, superlative facētissimē)^[1] Comparative facētius, superlative facētissimē.^[2][1]

Etymology

It is from Latin facētus (“clever, witty”) + -ē.^[2] The origin of facētus is doubtful: the ancients took it from faciō (“to make”), and the OLD suggests a link with fax (“torch”).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Naevius.^[3] In Plautus' Captivi a character applauds a remark as aptly put: facete dictum!^[2]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense is aptly or cleverly,^[2] as in Plautus; in Cicero it is wittily or amusingly, as in his discussion of jokes in On the Orator: illud facete dictum.^[2] Wiktionary also gives the sense nicely or elegantly.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius.^[3]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus, of something aptly said.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero, of a witty remark.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Aptly, cleverly.^[2]
2. Wittily, amusingly.^[2][1]
3. Nicely, elegantly.^[1]

Word family

• perfacētē

Related words

• facētus
• facētia

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de