patienter

Forms

patienter (comparative patientius, superlative patientissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin patiēns (“enduring, patient”) + -ter, the adverb of the present participle of patior (“to suffer, endure”).^[1][2] The verb goes back to Proto-Italic *pat-i-; its further origin is unclear: it has been linked with Ancient Greek πῆμα (pêma, “suffering”), or with the root of “to fall”, through “it befalls me”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Cicero,^[4] who speaks of bearing something patiently and bravely.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It means with patience or toleration, especially in patienter ferre or tolerare “to bear patiently”, as in Caesar's “patiently and calmly”.^[1][5] Horace uses it of contentedly dining on vegetables.^[5] Valerius Maximus and Augustine have the superlative.^[5]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero of bearing something patiently.^[5][4]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar of patient calm.^[5][4]
• 65–8 BC – Horace of a frugal meal.^[5][4]
• 354–430 AD – Augustine of bearing with the wicked most patiently.^[5][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Patiently, with toleration;^[1][5][2] patienter ferre, to bear patiently.^[1][5]
2. Contentedly, frugally.^[5]

Related words

• patiēns
• patior
• patientia

References

1. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn