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feliciter

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word feliciter

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 250–184 BC, Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*dʰeh₁-l-)

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [feːˈliː.kɪ.tɛr][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [feˈliː.t͡ʃi.ter][1]

Forms

fēlīciter (comparative fēlīcius, superlative fēlīcissimē)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from fēlīx (“lucky, fruitful”) with the adverbial suffix -ter.[2][3] De Vaan traces ⟨fēlīx⟩ to Proto-Italic *fēl(w)ī- (“suckling”), from a stem Proto-Indo-European *dheh1-l- (“sucking animal”); the adjective developed from “suckling, with young” to “fruitful” and “fortunate”.[4] Cognate with Ancient Greek θηλή (thēlḗ, “nipple”) and Latvian dêls (“son”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first example is Plautus' Aulularia, in the wish “may it turn out well and happily for you and your daughter”.[2]

Semantic evolution

It means “with good fortune, luckily”, as Cicero's “wisely, if by design; luckily, if by chance”, and in wishes “good luck!”, so that it was also used alone as an exclamation.[2][1] It also means “with good results, successfully”, as of a voyage, and in Horace “felicitously”, of a poet's daring.[2] Wiktionary also gives “abundantly”, of crops.[1]

Church Latin glosses it “happily, favorably, fruitfully, successfully”.[5] In medieval charters it is a formula of good omen in the dating clause.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus in a wish for good fortune.[2][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of luck and of a successful voyage.[2][3]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace of a poet's happy daring.[2][3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Luckily, fortunately, happily;[2][7][1][5] (in wishes) good luck![2][7][1][5]
  2. With good results, successfully; felicitously.[2][5]
  3. Abundantly.[1]
  4. (Medieval Latin) Under good omens, in the dating of charters.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Feliciter.” Etymologically, 19 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/feliciter. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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