Etymologically
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facilis

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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

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