presse

Forms

pressē (comparative pressius, superlative pressissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin pressus¹ (“pressed; concise”) + -ē.^[2][1] The adjective is the participle of premō (“to press”),^[2][1] which goes back to Proto-Italic *pres- and Proto-Indo-European *pr-es- (“to press”).^[3] The verb's cognates include Lithuanian per̃ti (“to beat, lash”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cicero has it first,^[4] of style and of argument: he speaks of orators who speak plainly and concisely, attenuate presseque, as against those who speak loftily and fully.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Cicero also uses the comparative of a philosopher who comes to close grips with a point and of defining things more exactly.^[2] Quintilian contrasts speaking fully or concisely, and Pliny the Younger writes of things he set down more concisely.^[2] The physical sense “with firm pressure” appears in Seneca's tragedies and in Scribonius Largus' prescriptions for rubbing in medicines, and Seneca also uses it of shaving the lips closely.^[2] Gellius uses it of being pressed tightly.^[2]

In medieval British sources it means “firmly”, of a grip or an imprint, and “closely, attentively”, of perception;^[5] William of Malmesbury says he studied physics more closely than logic.^[5]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a concise style and of close argument.^[2][4]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of standing firmly and of shaving closely.^[2][4]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian contrasts speaking fully and concisely.^[2][4]
• c. 165 AD – Gellius uses it of being pressed tightly.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. With firm pressure, firmly; closely.^[2][5]
2. (of sounds) Strongly, emphatically.^[2]
3. (of argument) At close grips, with close attention; precisely.^[2][1]
4. In a concise or restrained style.^[2][1]

Related words

• pressus¹
• premō

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ 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
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c 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