hilare

Forms

hilarē (comparative hilarius, superlative hilarissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin hilaris (“cheerful”) + -ē;^[1] the OLD and Georges derive it from the variant hilarus.^[2][3] The adjective was borrowed from Ancient Greek ἱλαρός (hilarós, “cheerful, merry”),^[2][1] which Wiktionary derives from ἵλαος (hílaos, “propitious, gracious”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler and Georges find it first in Plautus,^[4][3] who uses it of someone received cheerfully and generously.^[3][5]

Semantic evolution

It means cheerfully, gaily or light-heartedly.^[2][6] Afranius has a man showing himself cheerful, and the Rhetorica ad Herennium someone going cheerfully into the temple of Jupiter.^[3][6] Cicero writes of living cheerfully, of treating stern matters cheerfully, and of Pompey being with him in good spirits while he wrote;^[6][5] the comparative hilarius is used of speaking by Cicero and of writing by Pliny the Younger.^[3][5] Gellius uses it of keeping the Saturnalia cheerfully but with restraint.^[3][6] Columella applies it to plants, of their sprouting more vigorously.^[3][5]

Augustine and the Vulgate use the form hilariter.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a cheerful reception.^[3][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of living cheerfully.^[6][4]
• 1st century AD – Columella uses the comparative of plants sprouting vigorously.^[3][4]
• c. 165 AD – Gellius uses it of keeping the Saturnalia.^[3][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Cheerfully, gaily, light-heartedly.^[2][6]
2. (of plants) Vigorously, luxuriantly.^[5][3]

Related words

• hilaris
• hilaritās

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d e Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press