gratiosus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɡraː.tiˈoː.sʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ɡrat.t͡siˈɔː.s̬us]^[1]

Forms

grātiōsus (feminine grātiōsa, neuter grātiōsum, comparative grātiōsior, superlative grātiōsissimus); first/second-declension adjective^[1] Comparative grātiōsior, superlative grātiōsissimus.^[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin grātia (“favour, grace”) + -ōsus.^[2][3][1] De Vaan traces ⟨grātus⟩ to Proto-Italic *gʷrāto- (“grateful”), Proto-Indo-European *gʷr̥H-to- (“praised (in song)”), cognate with Oscan ⟨brateis⟩ “of grace”.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are Cicero.^[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant enjoying favour, popularity or influence, as in Cicero's apud omnēs ōrdinēs grātiōsus “in favour with all classes”, and showing favour, kind, obliging.^[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means favoured, beloved, popular.^[7] British Medieval Latin used it for charming, beautiful, elegant in speech.^[8] English gracious (c. 1300) is from it through Old French, and it survives as Spanish gracioso and Italian grazioso.^[9][1]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[2][5]
• c. 1300 – English gracious is recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Adjective

1. In favour, popular, influential.^[2][10]
2. Kind, obliging, gracious.^[2]
3. (Medieval Latin) Charming, elegant.^[8]

Word family

• gratiositas

Related words

• grātia
• grātus
• English gracious

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ 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. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press