minaciter

Forms

mināciter (comparative minācius, superlative minācissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin mināx (“threatening”) + -ter.^[2][3] The adjective is from minae (“threats”),^[4] which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *men-ā-, first “a part that sticks out” and then “a threat”, from the root of ēmineō (“to stick out”), Proto-Indo-European *m(e)n-eh₁-.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Plautus,^[6] whose Stichus has potius leniter quam minaciter, “gently rather than threateningly”.^[3][7][8]

Semantic evolution

It means “in a threatening manner, with threats”.^[2][3] Cicero uses it of frightening opponents, and in the Philippics asks whether a man spoke more threateningly than he would have acted.^[3][7][8] Livy has someone glaring round with fierce eyes, truces minaciter oculos, and Pliny the Younger, Suetonius and Quintilian also use it.^[8][3] Ecclesiastical Latin kept it as “by threats, threateningly”.^[9] In British medieval Latin, William of Malmesbury writes of ruling subjects mildly and roaring threateningly at enemies.^[10]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus contrasts leniter and minaciter.^[3][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses the comparative minacius.^[3][6]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy writes of eyes rolled threateningly.^[8][6]
• c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius uses it of demanding something with threats.^[3][6]
• 793 – Alcuin uses it in a letter.^[10]

Meanings

Adverb

1. In a threatening manner, menacingly, with threats.^[2][3][9]

Related words

• minae
• mināx

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
9. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
10. ^ a b 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