nimio

Forms

nimiō (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is the ablative of nimium (“too much”), the neuter of nimius (“excessive”), used as an adverb.^[2][1][3] That adjective belongs to nimis (“too much”), which de Vaan explains from ⟨*ne meijis⟩ “not too little”, with Proto-Indo-European *m(e)ih₁-is- (“less”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus says that what is unwelcome comes far more quickly, and uses nimiō minus and nimiō melius.^[3]

Semantic evolution

With comparatives and expressions of comparison it means by a very great degree, far, much, like multō: Antony writes to Cicero that he loves him far more, Horace tells a friend not to grieve too much, and Livy has nimiō plūs quam, far more than.^[2][3] Gellius also uses it.^[3] Wiktionary gives exceedingly, much too, and by far.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus with comparatives.^[3]
• 81–43 BC – Antony in Cicero's letters.^[3][5]
• 65–8 BC – Horace, too much.^[3]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy, far more than.^[3]

Meanings

Adverb

1. (with comparatives) By far, much, far.^[2][3][1]
2. Exceedingly, much too.^[1][3]

Related words

• nimium
• aliquantō
• multō
• nihilō
• nūllō
• paulō
• quantō
• tantō

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 j 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. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de