Etymologically
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lenio

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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

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