inepte

Forms

ineptē (comparative ineptius, superlative ineptissimē)^[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin ineptus (“unsuitable, foolish”) + -ē.^[3][4] The adjective is formed from in- and aptus (“fitted, suitable”);^[3] Cicero already explained the adjective as describing someone who is not apt.^[2] De Vaan takes that adjective as the participle of apīscor (“to get, seize”), from Proto-Italic *ap-(e)i- (“to get, seize”) and Proto-Indo-European *h₁p-i- (“to get, grab”).^[5] Cognate with Hittite epp- (“to take, grab”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first example is in Plautus,^[1][2] who in the Mostellaria has interdum ineptē stultus es, “at times you are absurdly stupid”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant without a sense of what is fitting: foolishly, absurdly or tactlessly.^[3][2] Cicero uses it of arguing or speaking ineptly, Horace of a foolish partisan, Persius of cawing foolishly, and Gellius of using words in an awkward and frigid way.^[2][1] A letter of Caecina to Cicero uses it of something done at the wrong time.^[6] Quintilian has the superlative ineptissimē and Lactantius the comparative ineptius.^[2][7]

In British Medieval Latin Bede uses it, and Bracton speaks of a writ that has been drawn up ineptly.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it in the Mostellaria.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of arguing ineptly.^[2][4]
• 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of a foolish partisan.^[1][4]
• 34–62 AD – Persius uses it of cawing foolishly.^[2][4]
• c. 250–317 AD – Lactantius uses the comparative.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Foolishly, absurdly, without a sense of what is fitting.^[3][2]
2. At the wrong time, inopportunely.^[6][1]

Related words

• ineptus
• ineptia
• aptus

References

1. ^ a b c d e Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ 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