languide

Forms

languidē (comparative languidius, superlative languidissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin languidus (“faint, weak, sluggish”) + -ē,^[2][3] and that adjective is made from langueō (“to be faint, weary”).^[4][5] De Vaan derives that verb from Proto-Italic *slangu-, perhaps Proto-Indo-European *sl-n-ǵ-u- (“weak, faint”), with a basic adjective meaning “faint, weak” that was a nasalized variant of the root seen in laxus (“loose, slack”).^[4] Cognate with Ancient Greek λαγαρός (lagarós, “slack, thin”) and Old English slæc (“weak, floppy”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Cicero,^[5] who in the Tusculan Disputations has the comparative: people say that no philosopher has ever said anything languidius, “more feebly”.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

Caesar uses the comparative of soldiers ordered to work less briskly,^[2][6] and the Bellum Africum of enemies throwing their weapons feebly and carelessly.^[2] Columella has it of a household that moves slowly and sluggishly, and Petronius uses it too.^[2][7] Of things, Pliny the Elder uses it of a top that nods droopingly, of palms that are only faintly sweet and of stones that shine less brightly,^[2][8] and Seneca of misfortunes that strike with less force when foreseen.^[2] Lewis's school dictionary records only the comparative for the classical authors he covers.^[9] A British medieval poet uses it of something once feebly despised.^[10]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero has the comparative languidius.^[2][5]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of soldiers working without energy.^[2][5]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of a blow that strikes with less force.^[2][5]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of drooping and of faint sweetness.^[2][5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Droopingly, slackly.^[2][8]
2. Without force, feebly, faintly.^[2][6][9]
3. Without eagerness, sluggishly, listlessly, apathetically.^[2][7][6]

Related words

• languidus
• langueō
• languor
• languēscō

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
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 f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
8. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
9. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T. (1890), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: American Book Company
10. ^ 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