Etymologically
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tumultuose

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Forms

tumultuōsē (comparative tumultuōsius, superlative tumultuōsissimē)[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin tumultuōsus (“full of commotion, turbulent”) + -ē, the adverb of the adjective.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest uses are in the speeches of Cato, who has the comparative tumultuōsius,[3][4] and in the comedies of Afranius,[5][3][4] in the sense “with uproar and confusion”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

In Classical prose it described noise and disorder: Cicero writes of a man to be attacked quam tumultuōsissimē, with the greatest possible uproar,[3][6] Caesar has the comparative,[6] and Livy writes of a senate summoned in confusion.[3] From the sense of disorder came that of panic or alarm, as when Cicero writes that Sicca brought a suspicion to him tumultuōsius, in great agitation,[2][4] and in Livy and Suetonius.[2]

Medieval writers in Britain, such as Peter of Blois and Stephen Langton, used it of turbulence and commotion.[7]

Timeline

  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses the comparative tumultuōsius.[3][4][5]
  • second half of the 2nd century BC – Afranius uses it in comedy.[5][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero has the superlative and the sense of alarm.[2][6][5]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of a senate summoned in confusion.[3][5]
  • c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius uses it in the sense of alarm.[2][5]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. With uproar and confusion; tumultuously, in disorder.[2][3][4]
  2. In panic or wild alarm.[2][4]

References

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