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frequens

Etymology and origin of the Latin word frequens

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Confidence
Uncertain
First attested
Plautus

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈfrɛ.kʷẽːs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfrɛː.kʷens][1]

Forms

frequēns (genitive frequentis, comparative frequentior, superlative frequentissimus, adverb frequenter); third-declension one-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[2][3] Nussbaum connects it with fraxō “to patrol”, which de Vaan finds semantically attractive; both could go back to a root *bʰrekʷ-, giving Proto-Italic *frekʷents.[2][1] The OLD and Köbler compare farciō “to stuff”, and the OLD and Lewis and Short Ancient Greek φράσσω (phrássō, “to fence in”).[3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus.[2][4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense was packed close together or crowded, as of people following in large numbers, and with an ablative crowded with something, as in Livy's “a city crowded with houses”.[3] Of places and meetings it meant thronged or busy, and of the senate well attended, with many members present.[3] Of people it meant assiduous or regular, and of events frequent or common.[3]

Döderlein contrasts saepe, often as opposed to once, with crēbrō and frequenter, often as opposed to rarely.[6] English frequent (mid-15th century) is from it, and the verb frequentō gave the verb “to frequent”.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][4]
  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius has “we follow in large numbers”.[3][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of a well-attended senate.[8][4]
  • mid-15th century – English frequent is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Crowded, densely packed; numerous.[3]
  2. Crowded (with), abounding (in).[3]
  3. (of places) Thronged, busy, (of the senate) well attended.[3]
  4. (of persons) Regular, constant.[3]
  5. frequent, repeated; common, usual.[3]

Word family

  • frequentārius
  • frequentia
  • frequentō
  • īnfrequēns
  • perfrequens

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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 k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
Cite this entry

“Frequens.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/frequens. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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