Etymologically
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licenter

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Forms

licenter (comparative licentius)[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin licēns (“free, unrestrained”) + -ter.[1] licēns is the present participle of licet (“it is permitted”),[2][3] which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *lik-ē- (“to be available, have the value of”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,[3] who exclaims in De natura deorum at how freely an opponent argues.[2]

Semantic evolution

It means without restraint, freely, boldly, and in a bad sense impudently or licentiously.[1][2][5] Cicero wants the plain style to seem to move freely, not to wander at will, and the comparative licentius describes slaves living too familiarly with their mistress in the speech for Caelius.[2] Sallust uses it of soldiers becoming more lax once fear is removed, and Quintilian of the Greeks taking many liberties.[2] It also means extravagantly or fancifully: Columella says no poet speaks more extravagantly, and Gellius of words said not fancifully, in the manner of poets, but on a firm principle.[1] Niermeyer records a medieval sense "with permission, lawfully".[6]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of arguing freely and of slaves' familiarity.[2][3]
  • 86–34 BC – Sallust of soldiers growing lax.[2]
  • 1st century AD – Columella of a poet's extravagance.[1]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian of the Greeks' liberties.[2]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Without restraint, freely, boldly;[1][2][5] (in a bad sense) impudently, licentiously.[1][2][5]
  2. In an exaggerated manner, fancifully, extravagantly.[1]
  3. (Medieval Latin) With permission, lawfully.[6]

Word family

  • praelicenter

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill