Etymologically
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hilare

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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]

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