Etymologically
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ridiculosus

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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