Etymologically
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perspicue

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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]

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