nequam

Forms

nēquam (indeclinable, comparative nēquior, superlative nēquissimus)^[2][1]

Etymology

It is from Latin nē (“not”) + quam (“how”), a phrase “in no way” used as an adjective.^[3][2][4] The comparative ⟨nēquior⟩ and the superlative ⟨nēquissimus⟩ were formed as if from a stem ⟨*nēquo-⟩.^[4] The older explanation, still in Lewis & Short, takes it from ⟨ne aequam⟩ “not fair”, from aequus;^[5][1] Wiktionary allows that this may have influenced it.^[5][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Naevius.^[3][6]

Semantic evolution

Of things it means worthless or useless, as Plautus' fish that is no good unless fresh.^[2][5] Of people it is morally worthless, a scoundrel, and in early Latin it was often used of slaves;^[2] dare nequam alicui is to make mischief for someone.^[2] In a mild or playful use it means naughty or roguish, often in erotic contexts, as when a Plautine lover calls himself a rascal for having fallen in love that day.^[2] The noun nēquitia and the adverb nēquiter were formed from it.^[3][1]

Church Latin glosses it “wicked, evil, worthless”.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius.^[3][6]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of worthless fish and of scoundrels.^[2][6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of things, worthless, useless, bad.^[2][5][1]
2. Of persons, morally worthless, depraved, vile;^[2][5][1] dare nequam alicui, to make mischief for someone.^[2][5][1]
3. In playful use, naughty, roguish.^[2]

Word family

• nēquālia
• nēquiter
• nēquitiēs
• nēquitia

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson