Etymologically
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firmiter

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Forms

firmiter (comparative firmius, superlative firmissimē)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin firmus (“firm, strong”) + -ter.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus on, who in the Casina uses it of shutting something up tight.[2][4][3]

Semantic evolution

The first sense is physical: firmly, securely, fast.[2] Lucilius uses it of something fixed in the heart, Caesar of standing firm, and Cicero of marriages firmly established.[5][4] From there it came to mean securely or unshakably (Suetonius has it of ruling securely),[2][4] steadfastly or resolutely (Apuleius),[2] and, with verbs of remembering, unfalteringly (Aulus Gellius).[2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of shutting something up tight.[2][3]
  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it of something fixed in the heart.[5][3]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of standing firm.[5][6][3]
  • c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius uses it of ruling securely.[2][3]
  • c. 165 AD – Aulus Gellius uses it of remembering unfalteringly.[2][3]
  • 758 – It appears in the Traditiones Frisingenses.[3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Firmly, securely, fast, tight.[2][5]
  2. Securely, safely, unshakably.[2]
  3. Steadfastly, resolutely.[2]
  4. (with verbs of remembering) Unfalteringly.[2]

Usage notes

The OLD files the comparative firmius and the superlative firmissimē under firmē.[2]

References

  1. ^ 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. ^ a b c d e f g h Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  5. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.