Etymologically
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placidus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word placidus

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Naevius
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*pleh₂k-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin placeo
Latin placidus

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈpɫa.kɪ.dʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈplaː.t͡ʃi.dus][1]

Forms

placidus (feminine placida, neuter placidum, adverb placidē); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin placeō (“to please”) + -idus.[2][1][3] Placeō goes back to Proto-Italic *plak-ē-, Proto-Indo-European *pl(e)h₂k- (“to agree, be pleasant”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Naevius.[3] The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of a kindly wife and a dog as tame as a sheep.[2] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

Of persons it meant disposed to please, kindly, indulgent, as Terence's gentle and forgiving father, and of animals tame, quiet.[2][5] Of the weather and sea it meant calm, tranquil, and of conditions free from stress, peaceful, quiet.[2] Lewis and Short give quiētus, mollis and lēnis as synonyms.[6]

In Medieval Latin it meant ingratiating, kindly, pleasant.[7] English placid was borrowed in the 1620s.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.[3][4]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a kindly wife and a tame dog.[2][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of a gentle father.[5][4]
  • 1620s – English placid is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Kindly, indulgent.[2]
  2. (of animals) Tame, quiet.[2]
  3. (of weather, sea) Calm, tranquil.[2]
  4. Peaceful, untroubled.[2]

Word family

  • implacidus
  • placida
  • placiditās
  • placido
  • placidulus
  • placēns
  • placentia
  • placeō
  • placibilis
  • placidē
  • placitō
  • placitum
  • placitus
  • placīvus
  • placor
  • plācō
  • English placid

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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 c d 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 c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Placidus.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/placidus. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·