necopinans

Forms

necopīnāns (genitive necopīnantis); third-declension one-termination adjective^[1] Also written separately, nec opīnāns or neque opīnāns;^[2][3] Georges thinks the separate spelling more correct.^[4]

Etymology

It is from Latin nec (“not”) + opīnāns (“supposing”), the present participle of opīnor (“to suppose, think”).^[2][1][5] De Vaan finds no sure etymology for that verb: the Praenestine spelling ⟨opeinor⟩ in an inscription of the third century shows an old diphthong, which makes an Indo-European origin less likely, and the traditional link with optō (“to choose”) is weak in meaning.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Terence is its first author: in the Andria a line runs nōs sīc necopīnantīs dūcī falsō gaudiō, “that we, not suspecting, should be led on so by false joy”.^[7][8]

Semantic evolution

Lewis and Short call it rare but classical.^[3] Lucilius has an attack on someone unaware, and Lucretius death coming upon a man who does not expect it.^[7][3] Cicero writes that he freed Ariobarzanes when he did not expect it, and uses it in his speeches of slaves attacked unawares and of a troop got together without Faustus knowing.^[7][3][9] The Bellum Africum has Moorish cavalry falling suddenly on Caesar's men, and Seneca busy men who fall into old age unawares.^[7] Jerome uses it of a letter that reached him unexpectedly.^[7] Glossaries give an adverb necopīnanter, rendered Ancient Greek ἀπροσδοκήτως (aprosdokḗtōs).^[3]

Timeline

• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of people led on by false joy.^[7][10]
• c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it of someone attacked unawares.^[7][10]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of Ariobarzanes freed unexpectedly.^[3][10]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of men falling into old age unawares.^[7][10]
• c. 383–419/420 AD – Jerome uses it of a letter arriving unexpectedly.^[7][10]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Not expecting, unsuspecting, unaware.^[2][3][4]

Related words

• opīnor
• nec

References

1. ^ a b c d 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
8. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
9. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
10. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de