Etymologically
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lascivus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɫasˈkiː.wʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [laʃˈʃiː.vus][1]

Forms

lascīvus (feminine lascīva, neuter lascīvum, comparative lascīvior, superlative lascīvissimus); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is derived from a stem Proto-Italic *lasko-, Proto-Indo-European *lh₂s-ko- (“desirous”), from the root *leh₂s- “to be eager”.[2][1] Cognate with Ancient Greek λιλαίομαι (lilaíomai, “to desire strongly”), Old Irish lainn (“eager”) and Russian ласый (lasyj, “greedy”), and the OLD compares Sanskrit लसति (lasati, “plays”).[2][3] A link with laciō “to entice” is also possible.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Livius Andronicus, who speaks of Nereus' playful snub-nosed herd, the dolphins.[2][4][3] Köbler dates Livius Andronicus 280/260–before 200 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It first meant playful, frisky, as Varro's goats that stray, and then given to levity, as Horace's youth that has a better claim to wantonness.[3] It meant unruly or mischievous, free from sexual restraint, as Horace's rich and wanton girl, and of style extravagant, as Seneca's speech more wanton than happy.[3]

Döderlein groups it with petulāns and protervus, words of wantonness.[5] Church writers such as Isidore used lascīviōsus in a scolding sense, and it gave English lascivious in the mid-15th century.[6] It survives in Italian lascivo and Spanish lascivo.[1]

Timeline

  • 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus speaks of Nereus' playful herd.[3][4]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of frisky goats.[3][4]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of a wanton girl.[3][4]
  • mid-15th century – English lascivious is recorded.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Playful, frisky, frolicsome.[3]
  2. Given to levity, frivolous.[3]
  3. Unruly, mischievous.[3]
  4. Free from sexual restraint, wanton, lewd.[3]
  5. (of style) Extravagant, unrestrained.[3]
  • lascīvē
  • lascīvia
  • lascīvībundus
  • lascīviō
  • lascīviōsus
  • lascīvitās
  • lascīviter
  • lascīvolus
  • lascīvulus
  • petulāns
  • English lascivious

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com