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ridiculosus

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word ridiculosus

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
297–310 AD, Arnobius
Ultimate origin
Latin rīdiculus
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin ridiculus
French ridicule
Italian ridicolo
Latin ridiculosus

Forms

rīdiculōsus (feminine rīdiculōsa, neuter rīdiculōsum); first/second-declension adjective[1][2]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin rīdiculus (“laughable”) + -ōsus.[1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

L&S cites the superlative from Plautus' Stichus, of a most amusing parasite, but Georges notes that the passage is now read ridiculissimos.[1][2] The first sure use is then in Arnobius, meaning laughable or droll.[2][3][4]

Semantic evolution

L&S calls it a word of early and late Latin, meaning laughable, facetious or droll.[1] Jerome sets it against ridiculus: non ridiculosa ut scribis, sed ridicula mihi forte res accidit, “what happened to me was not comical, as you write, but ridiculous”.[1] Zeno of Verona also uses it.[5]

Medieval British writers, from Aldhelm on, used it for ridiculous or absurd, and for what invites derision.[6] Humanists such as Guarino, Poggio and Ermolao Barbaro still wrote it.[7]

Timeline

  • 297–310 AD – Arnobius uses it of things that are droll.[1][3][4]
  • before 380 AD – Zeno of Verona uses it.[5][4]
  • c. 383–419/420 AD – Jerome contrasts it with ridiculus.[1][4]
  • 639–709 AD – Aldhelm uses it in the sense of ridiculous.[6][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Laughable, facetious, droll.[1][2][3]
  2. (Late and Medieval Latin) Ridiculous, absurd; inviting derision.[1][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  2. ^ a b c d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  3. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de
Cite this entry

“Ridiculosus.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/ridiculosus. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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