Etymologically
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pavidus

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈpa.wɪ.dʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈpaː.vi.dus][1]

Forms

pavidus (feminine pavida, neuter pavidum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin paveō (“to be afraid”) + -idus.[2][1] De Vaan derives ⟨paveō⟩ from Proto-Italic *pawē- and Proto-Indo-European *pou-eh₁- (“to fear”), following Schrijver in connecting it with Celtic words for fear such as Old Irish omun (“fear”) and úath (“fear”).[3] Walde–Hofmann and Ernout–Meillet instead took it as the stative of paviō (“to strike”), “to be struck”, hence “to fear”.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, Curculio: he seizes me, frightened and terrified (timidam atque pavidam).[2][4]

Semantic evolution

It means frightened, struck with fear, and of feelings and acts fearful, as Lucretius' fearful superstitions.[2] By nature it is timid, as Horace's “timid hare”.[2] Lewis & Short note that it is perhaps not found in Cicero.[4] Church Latin glosses it “terrified, fearful, trembling”.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of a frightened woman.[2][6]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius of fearful superstitions.[2][6]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace of the timid hare.[2][6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. frightened, terrified, trembling, alarmed.[2][1][5]
  2. Fearful by nature, timid.[2][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de