impetuosus

Forms

impetuōsus (feminine impetuōsa, neuter impetuōsum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin impetus (“attack, onrush”) + -ōsus.^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first dated instance is in Firmicus Maternus' work on astrology, meaning violent or impetuous;^[3][4][5] it also occurs in the undated Ilias Latina.^[6][3]

Semantic evolution

The word is rare in Late Latin, where it meant violent or impetuous.^[6][3][7] In Medieval Latin it was used of wind, water and fire, of rushing rivers and of rapid movement, and of people who are vehement, aggressive or raging.^[8][9] Through Old French and directly from Late Latin it gave English impetuous, as it gave Italian and Spanish impetuoso.^[10]

Timeline

• 343/350 AD – Firmicus Maternus uses it.^[3][4][5]
• 1157–1158 – Otto of Freising's Deeds of Frederick uses it of rain and winds.^[8][5]
• late 14th century – English borrows it as impetuous, “hot-tempered”.^[10]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Impetuous, violent.^[6][3][4]
2. (Medieval Latin) Rushing, of wind or water; rapid.^[8][9]
3. (Medieval Latin) Vehement, aggressive, raging.^[8]

Related words

• English impetuous

Usage notes

It is also spelled inpetuosus.^[8] The adverb is impetuōsē, “violently”.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b c d e f Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
8. ^ a b c d e Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
9. ^ 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
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com