Etymologically
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praeclare

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Forms

praeclārē (comparative praeclārius, superlative praeclārissimē)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from praeclārus (“very bright; splendid”) with the adverb ending -ē.[2][3] The adjective is prae- (“before, very”) with clārus (“clear, bright”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *klāro- (“loud”) and Proto-Indo-European *kl̥h₁-ro- (“loud, sonorous”), with the same shift from “loud” to “clear, bright” as in Old High German hel (“loud”).[1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Among the OLD's first examples is a speech of the orator Carbo, “if Gracchus acted wickedly, Opimius acted splendidly”;[2] Köbler gives Cicero.[3]

Semantic evolution

It is very clearly or plainly, as Cicero's “I remember very clearly who produced that heap of books”, and with conspicuous merit or success, very well or excellently, as in Carbo;[2][1] Cicero's “the matter stood very well” is of a successful result.[2][1] It has the superlative praeclārissimē.[2] Wiktionary also gives “famously” and “nobly”.[1]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of clear memory and success.[2][3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Very clearly, very plainly.[2][1]
  2. Excellently, splendidly, very well;[2][1] with great success.[2]
  3. Famously, nobly.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill