st

Forms

st (interjection)^[1][2]

Etymology

It is an imitative sound, a hiss enjoining silence.^[3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found in the comic poet Naevius, in the line st, tale verbum cave faxis (“hush, take care not to say such a word”),^[2][4] and in the comedies of Plautus,^[3] as in st, st, tacete (“hush, hush, be quiet”).^[2]

Semantic evolution

Terence uses it in several plays,^[2] and Cicero quotes a poet's st, tacete, quid hoc clamoris? (“hush, be quiet, what is this shouting?”).^[2] Cicero also has it in a letter, st, litteras tuas exspecto (“hush, I am waiting for your letter”),^[2][5] and in the De re publica.^[5][4]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it in his comedies.^[3][2]
• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it in a comedy.^[2][4][3]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it in several plays.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it in a letter and in the De re publica.^[2][5][3]

Meanings

Interjection

1. Hush!, sh!, a call for silence.^[1][2][6]

Usage notes

It is not the same as ’st, the shortened form of est (from sum) after a vowel.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn