Etymologically
Log in

largiter

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 20 October 2026 at 13:29. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Forms

largiter (comparative largius, superlative largissimē)[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin lārgus (“abundant, generous”) + -ter.[2][3] De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of lārgus, whose origin is unclear: he doubts that its long vowel is original, which undermines the explanation by Walde and Hofmann and by Pokorny as a compound meaning “carrying fat”, and he finds the comparison with Greek and with Latin words for fat and bacon uncertain and semantically unconvincing.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler record it first in Plautus,[3][4] who has it with a genitive, of plenty of gold and silver: credo edepol ego illic inesse argenti et auri largiter, “I believe, by Pollux, there is plenty of silver and gold in there”.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense is with generous provision, in large quantities, abundantly; the OLD's earliest quotation for this is from a speech of Cato, repente largiter habere, repente nihil, “suddenly to have plenty, suddenly nothing”.[2] With a genitive it means a large amount of, plenty of, as in Plautus and in Apuleius' largiter aquae, “water in abundance”.[2][5][6] It also means to a great extent, greatly: Plautus has reor peccatum largiter, “I think a great mistake has been made”, and Caesar largiter posse, “to have great power”.[2][5] Lucretius and Horace use it too, and Lucretius and Apuleius have it of giving generously.[6][5]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it with a genitive and in the sense “greatly”.[2][3][4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato has repente largiter habere.[2][4]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar has largiter posse.[5][6][4]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it.[6][5][4]
  • c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius has largiter aquae.[5][4]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. With generous provision, in large quantities, abundantly, profusely, liberally.[2][5][1]
  2. (with a genitive) A large amount of, plenty of.[2][5]
  3. To a great extent, greatly.[2][5][1]

Usage notes

Its comparative largius is usually counted under lārgē, the other adverb of lārgus.[6][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  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 c d e f g h i j Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  6. ^ a b c d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn