obliquo

Forms

oblīquō (present infinitive oblīquāre, perfect active oblīquāvī, supine oblīquātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin oblīquus (“slanting, sideways”) + -ō.^[2][1] De Vaan, who records the adjective from Cato on, calls its etymology unknown: the closest words in form and meaning are līmus² (“transverse”) and sublīmis, but he finds no convincing common root for them and no clear connections outside Italic.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest example is in Virgil (70–19 BC), who uses it of setting the sails at an angle to the wind (obliquat sinus in ventum), that is, of tacking.^[2][4][5]

Semantic evolution

It means to turn something aside or set it at a slant.^[2][6] Ovid uses it of turning a sword into an opponent's side and of Cerberus turning his eyes away from the daylight;^[2][7] Seneca of animals moving their feet sideways and of mirrors that distort the faces of those who look into them;^[2] Lucan of diverting the course of rivers;^[2] Tacitus of combing the hair aside and tying it in a knot, the mark of a people;^[2][4] and Quintilian of a letter whose sound is slightly modified.^[4][8] L&S note that it is poetic and post-Augustan.^[6] Figuratively Statius uses it of putting prayers indirectly, and Arnobius has it of answers.^[2][4] The noun oblīquātiō is formed from it.^[1]

Timeline

• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of setting the sails at an angle to the wind.^[2][5]
• 43 BC–AD 18 – Ovid uses it of turning a sword and of averting the eyes.^[2][5]
• 4 BC–AD 65 – Seneca uses it of mirrors that distort faces.^[2][5]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of a letter differing slightly from the Latin ones.^[2][5]
• c. 45–96 AD – Statius uses it of uttering prayers indirectly.^[2][5]
• AD 98–115 – Tacitus uses it of combing the hair aside.^[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To give an oblique direction to, set at an angle, slant.^[2][6]
2. To move (a part of the body) sideways; to avert (the eyes).^[2]
3. To turn aside, divert, deflect.^[2]
4. (of mirrors) To distort.^[2]
5. (figurative) To utter in a dissembling or indirect way.^[2][4]

Word family

• obliquatio

Related words

• oblīquē
• oblīquitās
• oblīquus

Usage notes

The OLD and Gaffiot also record a rare adverb oblīquō “at an angle, obliquely”, formed from the same adjective, which Gaffiot cites from Cato's work on agriculture.^[2][8]

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 q r s t Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ 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 d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
8. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.