Etymologically
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fama

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈfaː.ma], [ˈfaː.maː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfaː.ma], [ˈfaː.ma][1]

Forms

fāma f (genitive fāmae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *fāmā (“tale”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-mo/h₂- (“speech”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to speak”) of fārī “to speak”.[2][1] Cognate with Oscan faamat (“proclaims”) and Ancient Greek φήμη (phḗmē, “talk, report”).[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler give Naevius first.[2][4] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It was news or tidings, rumour and hearsay, tradition, and public opinion.[3] From the talk about a person it came to mean one's reputation, good name (of a woman, her chastity) or bad name, and above all fame, glory, renown.[3] Döderlein distinguishes fāma, open and public news, from rūmor, uncertain and often secret.[5] Varro and Isidore derived it from fārī, because it spreads by speaking.[6]

In medieval British Latin it was report, news and rumour.[7] It survives in Italian fama and Spanish fama, and through Old French fame gave English fame.[1][8]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses the word.[2][4]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of news and of reputation.[3][4]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro derives it from fārī “to speak”.[6][4]
  • early 13th century – English fame “character attributed to someone” is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. News, tidings.[3]
  2. rumour, hearsay.[3]
  3. Tradition, story.[3]
  4. Public opinion, talk.[3]
  5. reputation; good name; ill repute.[3]
  6. fame, glory, renown.[3]

Word family

  • dēfāmis
  • diffāmō
  • famatus
  • fāmella
  • famigero
  • fāmōsus
  • īnfāmis
  • for
  • fābula
  • fātum
  • īnfāmia
  • English fame
  • English famous
  • English infamy

Usage notes

Isidore says that rumour has no fixed place, because it is mostly false, adding or changing much of the truth.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  6. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).