nobilito

Forms

nōbilitō (present infinitive nōbilitāre, perfect active nōbilitāvī, supine nōbilitātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin nōbilis (“well known, famous; noble”) + -itō, formed like dēbilitō;^[1] the OLD analyses it as the adjective with the verbal ending of the first conjugation.^[2] De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of nōscō (“to get to know”), which goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest instance the OLD cites is in Pacuvius, quem fāma Grāia ante omnīs nōbilitat virōs, “whom Greek fame makes renowned above all men”.^[2] De Vaan records it from Terence on.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Its main sense is to make famous or notorious, for good or ill: in Terence it is used of making a foolish young man notorious for his scandals, Cicero says that poets want to be made famous after death and speaks of the notorious cruelty of Phalaris, and Nepos says that Iphicrates became famous for his military discipline.^[2][4] Livy uses it more plainly of making something generally known.^[2]

In Velleius Paterculus it means to raise in rank, to ennoble a family of new men,^[2] and Tacitus uses it of eloquence made grander by great contests.^[2] Ecclesiastical Latin kept the sense of making illustrious.^[5]

Timeline

• 220–130 BC – Pacuvius uses it of being made renowned.^[2][6]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of making someone notorious.^[2]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of poets' fame and of notorious cruelty.^[2][4]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of making something generally known.^[2]
• c. 20 BC–30 AD – Velleius Paterculus uses it of ennobling.^[2]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of making eloquence grander.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To make generally known, to call attention to.^[2]
2. To make renowned or noted, for good or ill; to make notorious.^[2][4]
3. To raise in rank, to ennoble.^[2][1]
4. To make (style) grander or more majestic.^[2]

Word family

• innobilitatus

Related words

• nōbilis
• nōbilitās
• nōbiliter

References

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