retorridus

Forms

retorridus (feminine retorrida, neuter retorridum); first/second-declension adjective^[1][2]

Etymology

Köbler analyses it as from Latin re- + torridus (“parched”);^[3] the OLD sees a formation with the prefix on torreō (“to scorch”) and the suffix -idus.^[1] De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of that verb, which goes back to Proto-Italic *tors-eje (“to scorch”) and Proto-Indo-European *tors-eie- (“to make dry”).^[4] Cognate with Ancient Greek τέρσομαι (térsomai, “to become dry”) and Old High German derren (“to make dry”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Varro,^[4][3] who in his work on farming writes of meadows that are dried up and mossy.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

It was used mostly after Augustus and not by Cicero.^[5] Columella, Seneca and Pliny the Elder apply it to plants, branches and fruit, and Seneca also to the burnt hand of Mucius.^[5][2][6] Phaedrus calls a mouse that had often escaped the trap saeculis retorridus, wizened with age;^[1] Georges and Conte take this as “wily”.^[2][6] Gellius uses it of men dried up by other pursuits who come late to learning,^[5][6] and Capitolinus and Lampridius of a stern, wrinkled face and of stubborn Gallic minds.^[5][2]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of parched meadows.^[5][3]
• c. 15 BC–c. 50 AD – Phaedrus uses it of an old mouse.^[1][3]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of the branches of a plane tree.^[5][2][3]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of fruit and myrtle.^[5][3]
• c. 165 AD – Gellius uses it of people who come late to learning.^[5][6][3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Parched, dried up, shrivelled (of plants, etc.).^[1][5]
2. Of persons or animals, wizened with age; hence wily.^[1][2][6]
3. (figurative) Stern, gloomy; stubborn.^[5][2]

Related words

• torreō
• torridus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
3. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d e f Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier