tempestivus

Forms

tempestīvus (feminine tempestīva, neuter tempestīvum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin tempestās (“time, season”) + -īvus.^[2][3][1] De Vaan explains both words from the s-stem of tempus (“time”), which he traces to Proto-Italic *tempos- (“stretch, measure”) and Proto-Indo-European *temp-os (“stretch”): a stretch, then a stretch of time, then time or occasion.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Cato,^[4] who uses it in his work on farming of basil ready at the right time and of oak timber that is fit for felling from midsummer to midwinter.^[2] Köbler names Plautus as its first author.^[5]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense is ready at the proper time, in season, of plants, fruit and timber.^[2] Of persons it means in one's prime, and of women ripe for marriage;^[2] Ovid uses it of Aeneas, ripe for heaven.^[2] Most often it means happening or done at the right time, timely, seasonable or opportune, as Cicero's timely etesian winds, and of times suitable, as Ovid's hour fit for stories.^[2][3] A convīvium tempestīvum was a dinner party that began early, and so an elaborate one: Cicero calls dancing the last companion of early dinners and pleasant places.^[2] Church Latin glosses it at the right time, seasonable, fitting, opportune.^[6]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato of basil and timber ready in season.^[2][4][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of timely winds and early dinner parties.^[2][5]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid of Aeneas, ripe for heaven.^[2][5]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder of men in their prime.^[2][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of plants and fruit, ready at the proper time, in season; of timber, fit for felling.^[2][1]
2. Of persons, in one's prime, mature; of women, ripe for marriage.^[2][1]
3. Happening or done at the right time, timely, seasonable, opportune.^[2][3][6][1]
4. convīvium tempestīvum: a dinner party beginning early, an elaborate feast.^[2]

Word family

• intempestīvus
• tempestīvē
• tempestīvitās
• tempestīvō

Related words

• tempestās
• tempus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c 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 d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson