Etymologically
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hercle

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈhɛr.kɫeː], [ˈhɛr.kɫɛ][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈɛr.kle][1]

Forms

herclē̆ [1] It is also spelled ercle and hercule, and with me- in mehercle, mehercule.[2][3][1]

Etymology

It is the name of Herculēs used as an oath, from Ancient Greek Ἡρακλῆς (Hēraklês).[2][4][3] The OLD explains it as apparently the vocative of a by-form ⟨*Hēraklos⟩ of the Greek name.[2] Lewis & Short and Wiktionary take the Latin name through Etruscan, which wrote it Etruscan 𐌇𐌄𐌓𐌂𐌋𐌄 (hercle).[3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Naevius already has it in comedy: nōn hercle apluda est hodie quam tū nēquior, “by Hercules, chaff today is not worth less than you”.[2] Köbler first records it in Plautus.[4]

Semantic evolution

Hercle is an appeal to Hercules used to add emphasis or show strong feeling, “by Hercules!, indeed, truly”, often combined with other intensifying words (Plautus: profectō hercle).[2][4] It was used normally by men, Plautus gives it once to a courtesan.[2] It is common in Plautus and Terence (periī hercle, “I'm done for, by Hercules”) and still used by Cicero and Phaedrus.[2] Köbler records it in the medieval writer Hrotsvit.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius: nōn hercle apluda est….[2][4]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: nē formīdā: salvom hercle erit.[2][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence: periī hercle.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it in a speech.[2][4]

Meanings

Interjection

  1. By Hercules!; truly, indeed (an oath adding emphasis).[2][3][4]

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 d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de