indulgens

Forms

indulgēns (genitive indulgentis, comparative indulgentior, superlative indulgentissimus); third-declension one-termination adjective^[1][2]

Etymology

Used as an adjective, it is the present participle from Latin indulgeō (“to be indulgent, grant”).^[1][3] The origin of indulgeō is unclear: de Vaan thinks it is probably a compound whose first part is ⟨in-⟩ “in”, ⟨in-⟩ “not” or ⟨endo⟩ “in”.^[4] LIV connects the root Proto-Indo-European *delǵh- (“to be hard, become fixed”), and de Vaan considers either a causative “let someone become hard” that shifted to “let someone have his way”, or a verb made from a negated adjective “not hard”, though he finds the initial ⟨in-⟩ hard to explain.^[4] Earlier comparisons with longus (“long”) and langueō (“to be faint”) he finds less likely on formal grounds.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler records it first in Turpilius, in the 2nd century BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it means mild and lenient, the opposite of strict:^[1][2] Cicero writes of a father who is too indulgent and loosens whatever the writer has tightened.^[1] In a more positive sense it is kind and gracious, as Seneca's avunculus indulgentissimus, “a most kind uncle”;^[1][2] in Pliny's letters indulgentissime Imperator addresses the emperor.^[2] Livy has irarum indulgentes ministri, ready servants of their anger.^[2] With a dative it means given to or fond of a pursuit, as Suetonius' aleae indulgens, “given to dice”.^[1] Georges also notes a passive use, “tenderly loved”, in the declamations ascribed to Quintilian.^[2]

Timeline

• 2nd century BC – Turpilius.^[5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero, of a too lenient father.^[1][5]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca, of a kind uncle.^[1][2][5]
• c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius, “given to” dice.^[1][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Not strict, mild, indulgent, lenient.^[1][2]
2. Kind, gracious, bestowing favours.^[1][2]
3. (with dative) Given to, fond of (a pursuit).^[1]
4. (passive, rare) Tenderly loved.^[2]

Related words

• indulgeō
• indulgentia

References

1. ^ 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
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de