Etymologically
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nimius

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈnɪ.mi.ʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈniː.mi.us][1]

Forms

nimius (feminine nimia, neuter nimium); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

De Vaan takes it for a recent adjective made from the adverb nimis (“too much”);[2][1] the OLD compares that word.[3] For the origin of nimis, explained by Meiser as ⟨*ne meis⟩ “not too little”, see that entry.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Naevius.[2][4] Plautus has nē nimiō opere sūmat operam, “that he should not take too much trouble”, and nimia memorās mīra, “you tell of very great wonders”.[3]

Semantic evolution

Nimius is “excessive, too great, immoderate” of qualities and conditions, and of things “too much, superabundant” (Terence: quor … vestītū nimiō indulgēs?, “why do you indulge in too much finery?”).[3][5][1] Of persons it is “intemperate, going too far”, as Statius calls himself nimius … avidusque dolōris, “excessive and greedy in grief”.[3] Without any idea of excess it means “very great, extraordinary”, as in early Latin (Plautus: dīvitiās nimiās, “enormous wealth”).[3][1]

Church Latin glosses it “excessive, too great”, and the neuter as a noun “excess”.[6] In Medieval Latin it often means “great, rich, eminent”.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.[2][4]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: nimia memorās mīra.[3][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence: vestītū nimiō.[3][4]
  • c. 45–96 AD – Statius: nimius … avidusque dolōris.[3][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. excessive, too great, immoderate.[3][5][1][6]
  2. Too much, superabundant; redundant (of writings).[3]
  3. Intemperate, extravagant (of persons).[3]
  4. Very great, extraordinary.[3][1][7]

Word family

  • nimietās
  • nimiopere
  • nimium
  • pernimius
  • nimiō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill