obscure

Forms

obscūrē (comparative obscūrius, superlative obscūrissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin obscūrus (“dark, obscure”) + -ē, the adverb of the adjective.^[1][2] The origin of obscūrus itself is disputed: de Vaan thinks its first meaning was darkened or covered, and finds a stem Proto-Italic *skoi-ro-, from Proto-Indo-European *skoh₂-i-ro- (“dark, shady”), more likely than other analyses, but marks the reconstruction with a query.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,^[2] whose Academica says that we see either nothing of the things above or very dimly.^[1]

Semantic evolution

Of sight and sound it means dimly or indistinctly;^[1] Gellius uses it of small particles pronounced faintly.^[1] Of expression it means without clear definition, as Cicero admits he has said something rather obscurely, and cryptically, so that with a negative it means in plain terms: in the first speech against Catiline he says “I will not speak darkly”.^[1] Of actions it means secretly or furtively, and the phrase obscure ferre is to make a secret of something.^[1] It also means without notice, and of a person's life in an undistinguished way.^[1]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero of seeing dimly, speaking obscurely and acting in secret.^[1][2]
• c. 165 AD – Gellius of sounds uttered faintly.^[1][2]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Dimly, indistinctly; of sound, faintly.^[1]
2. Obscurely, without clear definition; cryptically; with a negative, in plain terms.^[1]
3. Secretly, furtively;^[1] obscure ferre, to conceal.^[1]
4. Without being noticed; in an obscure station in life.^[1]

Related words

• obscūrus
• obscūritās

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill