leniter

Forms

lēniter (comparative lēnius, superlative lēnissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin lēnis (“soft, gentle”) + -ter, an adverb.^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨lēnis⟩ to Proto-Italic *lēni-, from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁-n(o/i)- (“lazy, slow”), keeping the connection with Balto-Slavic ⟨*lēnos⟩ “lazy”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus and Cato.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC and Cato 234–149 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant with a gentle movement, gently, as in Cato, Cicero's lēniter arrīdēre “to smile gently” and Caesar's lēniter acclīvis “gently sloping”; without drastic action, lightly; slightly, mildly, as in Celsus; with a smooth sound, as of style in Cicero; and with mildness of manner, moderately, lēniter ferre “to take calmly”, as in Plautus.^[2][5]

British Medieval Latin used it for gently, not violently.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of mildness.^[2][4]
• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of gentle movement.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. With a gentle movement, gently.^[2]
2. Lightly, without drastic effect; slightly, mildly.^[2]
3. With a smooth sound.^[2]
4. Mildly, moderately, lēniter ferre, to take calmly.^[2]

Related words

• lēnis
• lēnitās
• lēniō

References

1. ^ a b 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. ^ 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. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press