stulte

Forms

stultē (comparative stultius, superlative stultissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin stultus (“foolish”) + -ē, the adverb of the adjective.^[2][1] De Vaan files stultus under stolidus (“dull, stupid”): it may reflect ⟨*stl-to-⟩, but its further origin is uncertain;^[3] Pokorny derives both adjectives from Proto-Indo-European *stel- (“to place”), so that they would first have meant “inert, standing still”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Terence,^[4] who has haud stulte sapis, “you are no fool”.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It means stupidly, foolishly or unintelligently,^[2] the opposite of prudenter and sapienter.^[5] Georges records it in the comic poets and in Cicero.^[5]

Timeline

• 190–159 BC – Terence uses haud stulte “not foolishly”.^[5][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[5][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Foolishly, stupidly, unintelligently.^[2][1][5]

Related words

• stultus
• stultitia

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d e f Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn