recte

Forms

rēctē (comparative rēctius, superlative rēctissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from rēctus (“straight, right”) with the adverb ending ⟨-ē⟩;^[2] Wiktionary traces it to Proto-Italic *rektēd.^[1] rēctus is the past participle of regō (“to direct, rule”), which goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“to stretch, direct”); a Faliscan inscription has an adverb ⟨rected⟩, and Umbrian has ⟨rehte⟩ “right”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cato,^[4] but the OLD cites Plautus: nōn surda es, era: rēctē audīvistī, “you are not deaf, mistress: you heard right”, and rēctē dīcit, “he speaks the truth”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Rēctē is “upright, vertically” (Cato of training a vine), “without error, correctly”, and “in accordance with the facts, rightly”.^[2][1] It is “properly, as it ought to be done”, “according to the rules” (Accius: rēctē perfectīs sacrīs, “the rites duly performed”) and “with moral rectitude” (Plautus: sat habet fautōrum semper quī rēctē facit, “he who acts rightly always has supporters enough”).^[2][1] It also means “with good reason”, “thoroughly, well”, and “as one would wish” (quae rēs rēctē vortat, “may it turn out well”).^[2][1] Used alone it expresses approval, “quite right!”, often ironically.^[2]

Wiktionary adds the legal sense “lawfully” and “justly, fairly”.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: rēctē audīvistī;^[2][4] quī rēctē facit.^[2][4]
• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of training a vine upright.^[2][4]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of things going well for Rome.^[2][4]
• 170–c. 90 BC – Accius: rēctē perfectīs sacrīs.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Upright, vertically.^[2][1]
2. Correctly, accurately.^[2][1]
3. Rightly, truly.^[2][1]
4. Properly; according to the rules; lawfully.^[2][1]
5. Rightly, with moral rectitude; justly.^[2][1]
6. With good reason, justifiably.^[2][1]
7. Thoroughly, well; as one would wish.^[2][1]
8. Quite right! (approval, often ironic).^[2]

Related words

• rēctus
• regō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 q r s Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ 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 f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de