sereno

Forms

serēnō (present infinitive serēnāre, perfect active serēnāvī, supine serēnātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin serēnus (“clear, unclouded”) + -ō.^[2][1][3] The adjective goes back to Proto-Italic *(k)seró- and Proto-Indo-European *Kseh₁-ró- (“dry”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cicero has the present participle in a fragment of his poem on his consulship, luce serenanti, “in the brightening light”.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

Its main use is poetic.^[7] Virgil uses it of a god who clears the sky with his look,^[2][5] and then figuratively of a person who puts a hopeful look on their face, spem fronte serenat.^[2] Statius uses it of brightening a face,^[2] and Silius Italicus of the sky.^[7] Minucius Felix uses it impersonally, serenat, “it is fine weather”.^[6]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses serenans of light in a poem.^[5][6]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of clearing the sky and, figuratively, of a hopeful face.^[2]
• c. 45–96 AD – Statius uses it of a brightening face.^[2]
• 3rd century AD – Minucius Felix uses serenat impersonally of fine weather.^[6][8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To clear up, brighten (the sky).^[2][7]
2. To brighten in appearance, light up.^[2]
3. (figurative) To free from gloom, cheer.^[2][7]
4. (impersonal) serenat: it is fine weather.^[6]

Word family

• disserēnō
• serēnātor

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
4. ^ 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 Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b c d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de