facilis

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈfa.kɪ.lɪs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfaː.t͡ʃi.lis]^[1]

Forms

facilis (neuter facile, comparative facilior, superlative facillimus, adverb facile); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin faciō (“to do, make”) + -ilis, so “that can be done”.^[2][3][1] Faciō goes back to Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₁-k- (“to make”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put”).^[4] Old Latin had a short form facul.^[5][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus, who says that anyone can easily do wrong.^[4][2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant easy, not requiring great effort, of tasks straightforward, as Terence's just and easily won case, and facile est “it is easy”.^[2] Of things it meant easy to manage, of materials easily worked, of soil light, and easily obtained, as Virgil's earth pouring out easy food, and tolerable.^[2] Of persons it meant ready, prone, and also good-natured, courteous, yielding.^[2][7] The adverb facile meant “easily”.^[1]

In Medieval Latin dē facilī meant easily.^[8] It survives in French and Italian facile and Spanish fácil.^[1] English facile was borrowed in the late 15th century, “easy to do”.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses facile est.^[2][6]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of an easy case.^[2][6]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of food easily got.^[2][6]
• late 15th century – English facile is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Easy.^[2]
2. Straightforward, easy to handle.^[2]
3. Easily worked, (of soil) light.^[2]
4. Easily obtained.^[2]
5. Tolerable.^[2]
6. Ready, prone; good-natured, yielding.^[2]

Word family

• difficilis
• facilitās
• facultās
• perfacilis
• facile
• faciliter
• facul

Related words

• faciō
• English facile

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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 de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ 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