Etymologically
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terribilis

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [tɛrˈrɪ.bɪ.lɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [terˈriː.bi.lis][1]

Forms

terribilis (neuter terribile, comparative terribilior, adverb terribiliter); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin terreo (“to frighten”) + -bilis.[2][1] terreō continues Proto-Italic *trozeō, from Proto-Indo-European *troséyeti, from Proto-Indo-European *tres- (“to tremble”).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates its first use to Ennius, 204–169 BC.[3] Cicero says of a man “how terrible to look at!”.[4][5]

Semantic evolution

It meant inspiring terror or alarm, frightening, of persons, faces, sounds, shouts or death.[2][6] Livy says a people's arms were the most feared after the Gallic invasions, and Virgil's Aeneas is terrible in his anger.[6][4] Gaffiot also gives the sense worthy of respect, venerable.[5]

In Christian and medieval Latin it meant awe-inspiring, holy, and death was the ultimum terribilium “the last of terrible things”.[3][7] English terrible is recorded around 1400, from Old French and Latin.[8]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.[3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a frightening look.[4][3]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of Aeneas in anger.[4][3]
  • c. 1400 – English terrible is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Frightful, dreadful, terrible.[2][4]
  2. Venerable, awe-inspiring.[5][3]

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 c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com