falsum

Forms

falsum n (genitive falsī); second declension^[2]

Etymology

It is the neuter of falsus (“false”), used as a noun; ⟨falsus⟩ is the past participle of fallō (“to deceive”).^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨fallō⟩ to Proto-Italic *fal-s-e/o- and compares Sanskrit स्खलते (skhalate, “stumbles”) and Ancient Greek σφάλλω (sphállō, “to trip up”), although the match is not regular.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, Miles gloriosus: sī falsa dīcēs, “if you tell lies”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It is an untruth, lie or imposture, as in Cato's speeches and Cicero's false entry in an account book, and in Vitruvius a painted illusion.^[2] It is also what is wrongly perceived: Cicero complains less of seeing too short a way than of seeing falsely, and Tacitus has spears not thrown at random.^[2] In law it is forgery, the fraudulent tampering with documents: Tacitus has a man convicted falsī, of forgery.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of lies.^[2][4]
• 234–149 BC – Cato of inventions.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of a false entry and of false perception.^[2][4]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus of forgery.^[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. An untruth, falsehood, lie; a deception, illusion.^[2][1]
2. What is wrongly perceived.^[2]
3. (law) Forgery, fraud.^[2][1]

Related words

• falsus
• fallō
• falsō

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 k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
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 d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de