nocens

Forms

nocēns (genitive nocentis, comparative nocentior, superlative nocentissimus); third-declension one-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is the present participle of noceō (“to harm”), used as an adjective.^[1][2] De Vaan traces the verb to Proto-Italic *nokeje- (“to cause death”) and Proto-Indo-European *noḱ-eie- (“to make disappear, cause death”), cognate with Sanskrit नाशयति (nāśáyati, “makes disappear, destroys”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler records it from Cicero on; in the Verrines Cicero speaks of the most guilty men acquitted for money (hominēs nocentissimī).^[4][1]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it has the active sense of the verb, “harmful, injurious” (Varro of harmful weather), and above all the moral one, “stained with crime, guilty”, with an ablative of the offence.^[1] As a masculine noun nocēns is a guilty person, a criminal: Cicero says the orator holds up the crime and deceit of the guilty to the citizens' hatred.^[1] It is the opposite of innocēns.^[3]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero of guilty men and of the guilty as a noun.^[1][4]
• 116–27 BC – Varro of harmful weather.^[1][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. harmful, injurious, noxious.^[1]
2. guilty, criminal;^[1] (with ablative) guilty (of).^[1]

Noun

1. A guilty person, a criminal.^[1]

Related words

• noceō
• innocēns
• noxius
• noxa

References

1. ^ 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
2. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de