Etymologically
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recte

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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]

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