invidia

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɪnˈwɪ.di.a]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [iɱˈviː.di.a]^[1]

Forms

invidia f (genitive invidiae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin invidus (“envious”) + -ia, from invideō (“to look askance at, envy”), a compound of in- and videō (“to see”).^[2][1][3] De Vaan traces ⟨videō⟩ to Proto-Italic *wid-ē-, Proto-Indo-European *wid-eh₁- (“to see”), and notes that Lithuanian ⟨pavydė́ti⟩ “to envy” has the same stem.^[4] Wiktionary compares Proto-Slavic *zavistь (“envy”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are Plautus, for ill will and for odium.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant ill will, spite, jealousy, envy, felt by a person, and in Plautus also the odium or unpopularity that falls on its object, and Cicero uses it of hostility stirred up against an opponent in court.^[2][5][6] Cicero himself notes the ambiguity of the word between envy and unpopularity.^[5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means envy, hatred, jealousy, and British Medieval Latin counts it among the mortal sins.^[7][8] English envy (late 13th century), Spanish envidia and Portuguese inveja are from it.^[9]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of spite and of odium.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of hostility roused against an opponent.^[2][3]
• late 13th century – English envy is recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. Ill will, spite; jealousy, envy.^[2][5]
2. Odium, unpopularity.^[2]
3. Hostility roused against an opponent.^[2]

Word family

• invidiōsus

Related words

• invidēns
• invidentia
• invideō
• invidiōsē
• invidus
• videō
• English envy
• English invidious

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
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
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com