iucunditas

Forms

iūcunditās f (genitive iūcunditātis); third declension^[1] It is also spelled iōcunditās.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin iūcundus (“pleasant”) + -tās.^[2][3][1] De Vaan lists iūcundus among the derivatives of iuvō (“to help, please”), which he traces to Proto-Italic *ijow- and Proto-Indo-European *h₁i-h₁euH- (“to help”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Afranius.^[5] The OLD's first example is Cicero's Verrines: “O habit of sinning, what charm you have for the wicked and the bold!”^[2]

Semantic evolution

It is a pleasing quality, charm or agreeableness, of things, of a writer's style, and of things affecting the senses, as the charm of words and rhythm that seasons a speech.^[2] Of persons it is a pleasant disposition, amiability, and in the plural acts of kindness or favours;^[2][1] Cicero speaks of the delight of one's children.^[2][1] Lewis & Short add Cicero's letter full of delight and the pleasure of life impaired by illness.^[6] Church Latin glosses it cheerfulness, pleasure.^[7] English jocundity (early 15th century) is from Old French or directly from Late Latin iocunditas.^[8]

Timeline

• second half of the 2nd century BC – Afranius uses it.^[5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of charm, of style and of the pleasure of life.^[2][6][5]
• early 15th century – English jocundity is formed from it.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. Pleasing quality, charm, agreeableness, delight, enjoyment.^[2][6][1]
2. Of persons, pleasantness of manner, amiability, cheerfulness; in the plural, kindnesses, favours.^[2][7][1]

Related words

• iūcundē
• iūcundō
• iūcundus
• English jocundity

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com