Etymologically
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festivus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [feːsˈtiː.wʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [fesˈtiː.vus][1]

Forms

fēstīvus (feminine fēstīva, neuter fēstīvum, adverb fēstīvē or fēstīviter); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from fēstus “festal” with the suffix -īvus.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Ennius, of festal days.[2] Köbler's first source is Plautus; he dates Ennius 204–169 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant festal, of days, as in Ennius, and in Plautus a place of merrymaking.[2][5] From Plautus it meant colloquially excellent, fine, and in Cicero ironically pretty.[2] In Terence it meant jovial, genial, and in Cicero of speech lively, bright, and in Plautus witty, amusing.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant festive, pleasant, lively.[6] Medieval Latin used it for festal, a holiday.[7] It survives in Italian and Spanish festivo and French festif, and English festive came in the 1650s, “pertaining to a feast”.[1][3]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of festal days.[2][4]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of the excellent and the witty.[2][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of the genial.[2][4]
  • 1650s – English festive is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Festal.[2]
  2. Excellent, fine; ironically, pretty.[2]
  3. Jovial, genial; lively.[2]
  4. Witty, amusing.[2]

Word family

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill