pernicies
Pronunciation
Forms
perniciēs f (genitive perniciēī); fifth declension[1] The form pernitiēs appears in Columella, and Sisenna and Cicero have an old genitive perniciī.[2]
Etymology
It is from per- “thoroughly” and necō “to kill”, with the suffix -iēs.[2][1][3]
Earliest recorded meaning
Köbler's first source is Ennius, whom he dates 204–169 BC.[3] The OLD's earliest citations are from Cicero.[2]
Semantic evolution
It meant physical destruction, fatal injury, of people and animals, more rarely of things, and by metonymy a source of ruin, as in Cicero.[2]
In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant disaster, destruction.[4] British Medieval Latin used it for destruction, death, and figuratively ruin, undoing.[5] It was borrowed into Italian pernicie.[1] Its adjective perniciōsus gave English pernicious in the early 15th century.[6]
Timeline
- 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.[3]
- 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of destruction and of a source of ruin.[2][3]
- early 15th century – English pernicious is recorded.[6]
Meanings
Noun
- Destruction, death, ruin.[2]
- A source of ruin, a bane.[2]
Word family
- permitiālis
- perniciābilis
- perniciālis
- perniciōsus
- perniciōsē
Related words
- perniciō
- permitiēs
- necō
- nex
- English pernicious
References
- ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
- ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
- ^ 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
- ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com