ubivis

Forms

ubivīs (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin ubī (“where”) + vīs (“you wish”), literally “where you wish”.^[2][1] De Vaan traces ubī back to Proto-Italic *kʷuþei (“where”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷu-dʰi (“where”), and compares Oscan puf and Umbrian pufe “where”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Terence,^[3][4] meaning “no matter where, anywhere you like”, and also “whenever you like” and “in any circumstances”: in the Andria a character would put up with being fooled ubivis “anywhere else” rather than in this matter.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

In Classical prose it meant “anywhere, wherever it may be”: Cicero writes that there is no one who would not rather be anywhere else than where he is.^[5][6] It could be combined with a genitive such as gentium (“anywhere in the world”), a use that medieval British writers kept.^[7]

Timeline

• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it for “anywhere”, “whenever” and “in any circumstances”.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it in his letters for “anywhere else”.^[5][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Anywhere you like, no matter where; everywhere.^[2][5]
2. Whenever you like.^[2]
3. In any circumstances you like.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ 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