honeste

Forms

honestē (comparative honestius, superlative honestissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin honestus (“honourable”) + -ē.^[2][1] De Vaan derives honestus from ⟨*hones-to-⟩, from honōs (“honour”), whose further origin is unknown.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, Trinummus: it can hardly be done honourably (honestē), letting her marry without a dowry.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It means honourably, creditably, and honestē nātus or genitus is “well-born”, as Livy's citizens of good birth and liberal upbringing.^[2] It also means with integrity, fairly (Cicero: judging truly and honestly), and decently, becomingly, as Plautus has a girl tell another to carry the water nicely, as she does.^[2]

In medieval Latin it could mean liberally, richly.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus in the senses “honourably” and “decently”.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of judging honestly.^[2][5]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy: honestē genitī, “well-born”.^[2][5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. honourably, creditably, with propriety.^[2][1]
2. With integrity, fairly, honestly.^[2]
3. decently, becomingly.^[2][1]
4. (Medieval Latin) Liberally, richly.^[4]

Related words

• honestus
• honōs
• honestās

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de