perspicue

Forms

perspicuē (comparative perspicuius, superlative perspicuissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin perspicuus (“transparent, clear”) + -ē.^[2][3] The adjective is formed from perspiciō (“to see through”),^[2][4] a compound of speciō (“to look”), which goes back to Proto-Italic *spekje/o- and Proto-Indo-European *speḱ-ie/o- (“to look”).^[5] Cognate with Umbrian speture, Sanskrit पश्यति (páśyati, “looks at”) and Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι (sképtomai, “to look around”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,^[3] but the OLD cites Plautus' Aulularia, perspicue palam est, “it is plain to see”.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

Its main senses are clearly, of perception, and lucidly, of expression.^[2][7] Cicero says that we should not see the crimes of certain men so clearly, and that one can clearly understand what something is; in De finibus he speaks of setting a matter out plainly and lucidly.^[2][6] Quintilian joins it with speaking good Latin, and Apuleius uses it of Plato's doctrine set out clearly.^[2] It also meant unmistakably or self-evidently: Cicero says that the courts are openly and patently void and that some things are plainly false.^[2][7] Apuleius' De mundo uses it literally, of air clear and transparent once purged of mist.^[2]

British medieval writers used it for very clearly or visibly, as Gildas, Alcuin, Lanfranc and William of Newburgh do, and once for seeing sharply, of a blind boy who rose and saw clearly.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses perspicue palam est.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of clear perception and lucid exposition.^[2][3]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of clear speaking.^[2][3]
• c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses it of transparent air.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Transparently, pellucidly.^[2]
2. With clear perception, clearly.^[2][7]
3. With clear expression, lucidly.^[2][6]
4. Unmistakably, patently, self-evidently.^[2][7]
5. (Medieval Latin) Sharply, with keen sight.^[8]

Related words

• perspicuus
• perspiciō
• perspicuitās

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
8. ^ a b 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