malevolus

Forms

malevolus (feminine malevola, neuter malevolum, comparative malevolentior, superlative malevolentissimus); first/second-declension adjective^[1] Also spelled malivolus.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is a compound from Latin male (“badly”) + -volus (“wishing”), whose second part is formed from volō¹ (“to wish”).^[2][1] De Vaan lists it among the compounds in ⟨male-⟩ under malus¹ (“bad”), whose further origin he considers uncertain.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has it in the Stichus: curiosus nemo est quin sit malevolus, “nobody is inquisitive without being spiteful”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Terence uses it of a hostile old poet and of spiteful rumours,^[2] and Cicero, in his letters, of persons, with the dative or with in and the accusative, and of hostile talk.^[3][2] Köbler records it later in the Latin Bible, the capitularies and charters.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of an inquisitive, spiteful person.^[2][5]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of a hostile old poet and of rumours.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it in his letters, of persons and of talk.^[2][3][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Ill-disposed, spiteful, envious, malevolent (of persons).^[2][3]
2. Spiteful, hostile (of actions or remarks).^[2][3]

Related words

• benevolus

Usage notes

Its comparative and superlative, malevolentior and malevolentissimus, are formed from malevolens.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
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 d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de