Etymologically
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perfacile

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Forms

perfacile (not comparable)[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin perfacilis (“very easy”), its neuter used as an adverb.[2][3] That adjective is from Latin per- (“very”) + facilis (“easy”),[1][4] and de Vaan lists facilis among the derivatives of faciō (“to make, do”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest quotation in the OLD is from Plautus' Mostellaria: perfacile ego ictūs perpetior argenteōs, “I very willingly put up with blows of silver”.[2][6][7]

Semantic evolution

Accius uses it in the same sense, very willingly, of putting up with being called stubborn.[2][8] Its usual meaning, very easily, appears in Lucretius and Cicero:[2][6] in the speech for Sextus Roscius Cicero speaks of a man who, unsuspecting, could very easily be put out of the way.[2] Cicero also uses it of a speech running with a very smooth flow.[2] Livy, Valerius Maximus and Apuleius continue the sense very easily,[2] and medieval writers in Britain use it the same way, with the superlative perfacillimē.[9]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it in the sense “very willingly”.[2][7]
  • 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses it in the same sense.[2][8][7]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it in the sense “very easily”.[2][6][7]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of things done very easily and of a smooth flow of speech.[2][7]
  • c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius still uses it.[2][7]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. With very little difficulty, very easily.[2][3][6]
  2. Very willingly, quite gladly.[2][3][8]
  3. (of speech) With a very smooth flow.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  4. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
  5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  6. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  7. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  8. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  9. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press