lenis

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈɫeː.nɪs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈlɛː.nis]^[1]

Forms

lēnis (neuter lēne, comparative lēnior, superlative lēnissimus, adverb lēne or lēniter); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *lēni-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁-n(o/i)- (“lazy, slow”).^[2] Cognate with Lithuanian lė́nas (“slow, calm”) and Latvian lēns (“slow”), whose meaning is close enough to “soft, calm”.^[2][1][3] The i-stem probably replaced an older o-stem, as in hilaris.^[2] lentus is similar in sound and meaning but of a different origin.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler and the OLD give Ennius first, who describes a river flowing with a gentle current and a quiet sleep.^[4][3] De Vaan gives Plautus.^[2] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant slowly moving, gentle or placid, as of rivers, winds and sleep, and then mild or weak, as of fevers, slopes, drugs and fires.^[3] It was used of mild tastes and wine, of soft sounds, and of people and actions that were gentle, lenient or tolerable.^[3]

Döderlein contrasts lēnis, gentle as opposed to vehemēns, with mītis, mild as opposed to acerbus, and placidus, calm as opposed to turbidus.^[5] Its derivatives lēniō “to soothe” and lēnitās “gentleness” gave English lenient and lenity, and English took over lenis as a term of phonetics.^[1][6]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius speaks of a gently flowing river.^[3][4]
• 234–149 BC – Cato speaks of a gentle south wind and a moderate fire.^[3][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a softer sound.^[3][4]
• early 15th century – English lenity is recorded.^[6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Gently moving, gentle, placid, (of sleep) quiet.^[3]
2. Mild, weak, (of slopes) gentle, (of fire) moderate.^[3]
3. Mild to the taste, mellow.^[3]
4. (of sounds) Soft, pleasant.^[3]
5. (of people) Gentle, lenient.^[3]
6. (of conditions, words) Mild, tolerable.^[3]

Word family

• lēniō
• lēnitās
• lēnitūdō

Related words

• lēne
• lēnīmen
• lēnīmentum
• lēniter
• lassus
• English lenient
• English lenity

Usage notes

A rare noun lēnis, a vessel or vat, found in Afranius and Laberius, is from Ancient Greek ληνός (lēnós, “wine vat”).^[7][8][4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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 m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e f 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
7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press