Etymologically
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lividus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈliː.wɪ.dʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈliː.vi.dus][1]

Forms

līvidus (feminine līvida, neuter līvidum, superlative līvidissimus, adverb līvidē); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is formed from līveō “to be bluish” with the suffix -idus, or the verb is a back-formation from it.[2][1] The base continues Proto-Italic *(s)līwo-, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)l(e/o)iH-wo- (“plum-coloured, bluish”), and replaced an older adjective *līvos.[3] Cognate with Old Irish lí (“colour”), Welsh lliw (“colour”), Russian слива (sliva, “plum”) and Old English slāh (“sloe”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus.[3][4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant of a dull or greyish-blue colour, leaden or slate-coloured, said of marsh water in Catullus and of the waters of the underworld in Virgil.[2][5] It described bruises, black and blue from a blow, and unripe grapes in Horace.[6] Figuratively it meant spiteful, envious or malicious, as Horace asks “do I seem to you spiteful and biting?”.[2]

Medieval writers used it of black, purple, blue, grey and pale shades.[7] English livid came from it in the early 15th century, first “bluish-leaden”.[8] It was borrowed into French livide and Italian livido.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[3][4]
  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus speaks of a leaden marsh.[2][4]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of spite.[2][4]
  • early 15th century – English livid is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Bluish, leaden, livid.[2]
  2. Black and blue (from a blow).[6]
  3. Spiteful, envious.[2]

Word family

  • līvidē
  • līvidināns
  • līvidō
  • līvidulus
  • līvēdō
  • līvēns
  • līventer
  • līveō
  • līvēscō
  • līvor
  • lūridus
  • English livid

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 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
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com