obliviosus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɔb.liː.wiˈoː.sʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ob.li.viˈɔː.s̬us]^[1]

Forms

oblīviōsus (feminine oblīviōsa, neuter oblīviōsum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from oblīviō or oblīvium “forgetfulness” with -ōsus, from oblīvīscor “to forget”.^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Plautus, “forgetful”.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant forgetful, having a bad memory, as in Plautus and Cicero, and producing forgetfulness, as in Horace, and Lewis & Short call it rare but classical.^[2][4][5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means forgetful.^[6] English oblivious (mid-15th century) is from it.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[5][3]
• 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of what brings forgetfulness.^[2][3]
• mid-15th century – English oblivious is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Forgetful, oblivious.^[2][4]
2. Causing forgetfulness.^[2]

Related words

• oblīviō
• oblīvium
• oblīvīscor
• English oblivious

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com