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rideo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word rideo

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Confidence
Unknown
First attested
Naevius

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈriː.de.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈriː.de.o][1]

Forms

rīdeō (present infinitive rīdēre, perfect active rīsī, supine rīsum); second conjugation[1]

Etymology

It has no good Proto-Indo-European etymology.[2][3] The old comparison with Sanskrit व्रीडते (vrīḍate, “is ashamed”), which the OLD still mentions, is semantically gratuitous according to de Vaan.[2][4] Roberts proposed Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn”), of turning the mouth, and Lewis and Short compared a Boeotian word for laughing.[1][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Naevius.[2] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to laugh, as Plautus' matrons who should laugh quietly at the play, and to laugh as a sign of goodwill, to smile on someone.[4] Of things with a bright, cheerful look it meant to “laugh” or “smile”, as a house that smiles, and of ripe figs to split open.[4] Transitively it meant to laugh at a joke, and to deride, mock, as Cicero's Naevius who laughs at our folly.[4][7] Petronius has a deponent rīdētur.[4] Döderlein says it is a joyous and moderate laugh, while cachinnor is an unrestrained guffaw.[8]

It survives in Italian ridere, French rire and Romanian râde.[1] English ridiculous and English risible come from its derivatives rīdiculus and rīsus.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.[2][6]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of an audience laughing.[4][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of mockery.[4][6]
  • 1540s – English ridiculous is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To laugh.[4]
  2. To smile on, laugh in goodwill.[4]
  3. (of things) To look bright, “smile”.[4]
  4. To split open, gape.[4]
  5. To laugh at (a joke).[4]
  6. To deride, mock.[4]

Word family

  • arrīdeō
  • corrīdeō
  • dērīdeō
  • irrīdeō
  • rīdibundus
  • rīdiculus
  • rīsibilis
  • rīsiloquium
  • rīsiō
  • rīsitō
  • rīsor
  • rīsus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
Cite this entry

“Rideo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/rideo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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