Etymologically
Log in

lepide

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 19 October 2026 at 19:28. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Forms

lepidē (comparative lepidius, superlative lepidissimē)[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin lepidus (“charming, pleasant”) + -ē.[2][1] The OLD suggests that lepidus may come from Ancient Greek λεπτός (leptós, “fine, delicate”);[2] Wiktionary derives it from a root *lep- with the suffix -idus, the root of lepōs (“charm, grace”), whose origin is unclear.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Plautus,[3] who uses it often, as in Pseudolus of tricking a pimp nicely.[4]

Semantic evolution

It means charmingly, pleasantly, wittily or neatly.[2][1] In Plautus it is above all a word of approval, “fine, excellent”, as in the Bacchides: “what if you keep quiet and I speak?” – “Fine, go ahead”.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of clever tricks and as a word of approval.[2][4][3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Charmingly, pleasantly, wittily, neatly.[2][1]
  2. As a word of approval, fine, excellent.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften