lenio

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈɫeː.ni.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈlɛː.ni.o]^[1]

Forms

lēniō (present infinitive lēnīre, perfect active lēnīvī or lēniī, supine lēnītum); fourth conjugation^[1] Virgil has the old imperfect lēnībat and Propertius the future lēnībunt.^[2]

Etymology

It is from lēnis “soft, gentle” with the verb suffix -iō.^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨lēnis⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *leh₁-n- (“lazy, slow”) and compares Lithuanian lė́nas (“lazy”) and Old Church Slavonic лѣнъ (lěnŭ, “lazy”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of calming people.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to placate, calm, comfort people and animals, as in Plautus; in Terence to mitigate emotions; in Sallust to moderate physical forces and conditions.^[2] Cicero used it for making a thing seem less serious, explaining it away.^[2] Pliny the Elder and Horace use it of soothing pain or hunger.^[5]

Through Medieval Latin lēnītīvus it gave English lenitive in the early 15th century, “assuaging, palliating”.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of calming people.^[2][4]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of emotions.^[2][4]
• 86–34 BC – Sallust uses it of physical forces.^[2][4]
• early 15th century – English lenitive is recorded.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To make less violent, moderate.^[2]
2. To placate, calm, soothe.^[2]
3. To alleviate, mitigate.^[2]
4. To palliate, explain away.^[2]

Word family

• dēlēniō
• lēnīmen
• lēnīmentum
• oblēniō

Related words

• lēnē
• lēnis
• lēnitās
• lēniter
• lēnitūdō
• English lenitive

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 k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com