frustra

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈfruːs.traː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfrus.tra]^[1]

Forms

frūstrā (not comparable)^[1] Plautus scans frustră in the phrase nē frustrā sīs.^[2]

Etymology

It is related to fraus “deceit, harm”.^[2][3] De Vaan takes it as the plural of ⟨*frūstrum⟩, from ⟨*fraud-tro-⟩; he reconstructs ⟨fraus⟩ as Proto-Italic ⟨*frawV-⟩, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrewgʰ- (“to deceive”), with Sanskrit ध्रुति (dhrúti-, “deception”) as a cognate.^[4] Lewis & Short took it for an old case form of an adjective ⟨*frūsterus⟩, and Pedersen connected it with frustum “piece”.^[5][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Plautus, “in vain”.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to no purpose, in vain, without effect, as in Plautus, and in Terence without reason, needlessly, mistakenly, often in litotes.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means in vain, uselessly.^[7] Medieval Latin used it for without reason, inconsiderately, and for with impunity.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][6]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of acting without reason.^[2][6]

Meanings

Adverb

1. In vain, to no purpose.^[2][7]
2. Without reason, needlessly, mistakenly.^[2]
3. (Medieval Latin) With impunity.^[8]

Word family

• frūstrō
• frūstror

Related words

• fraudō
• fraus
• frūstrātiō
• English frustrate

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill