obstinatus

Forms

obstinātus, obstināta, obstinātum; comparative obstinātior, superlative obstinātissimus^[1]

Etymology

Used as an adjective, it is the perfect passive participle from Latin obstinō (“to set one's mind on”).^[1][2] De Vaan explains obstinō and dēstinō as prefixed verbs built on the old nasal present of stō (“to stand”), Proto-Italic *sta-n-e/o- (“to place”), from Proto-Indo-European *st-n(e)-h₂- (“to place”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Naevius has it first, addressing those who stand by obstinate.^[1][4]

Semantic evolution

It means stubborn, obstinate or resolute, and in a bad sense hardened, as when Cicero writes that a man's will seems more obstinate than ever.^[1] Accius apparently uses it of being held fast.^[1] Church Latin glosses it obstinate, stubborn, resolute, determined.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius of obstinate bystanders.^[1][4]
• 170–c. 90 BC – Accius in the sense held fast.^[1][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of an obstinate will.^[1][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Stubborn, obstinate, resolute, determined; in a bad sense, hardened.^[1][5]
2. Held fast.^[1]

Related words

• obstinō
• English obstinate

Usage notes

The adverb is obstinātē.^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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. ^ 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson