venuste

Forms

venustē (comparative venustius, superlative venustissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin venustus (“charming, attractive”) + -ē, the adverb of the adjective.^[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Conte's earliest reference is Terence's Eunuch,^[5] where it means “charmingly, pleasantly”.^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it praised grace in art and speech:^[6][7] Cicero describes a statue of a she-goat as scītē facta et venustē, skilfully and charmingly made;^[5][7] Caelius, writing to Cicero, praises a reply made venustissimē;^[6][7] Quintilian uses it of witty speaking and invention,^[6][7] and Pliny the Younger of mimiambi written gracefully.^[6]

Ecclesiastical and medieval writers kept the sense: Stelten glosses it “beautifully, gracefully”,^[8] and British authors such as Peter of Blois and Walter Map used it of pleasing looks, dress and style.^[9]

Timeline

• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it in the Eunuch.^[5][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero praises a statue made venustē.^[5][7][4]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of graceful wit.^[6][7][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Charmingly, gracefully, elegantly.^[2][6][5]
2. (of speech) Wittily, neatly.^[6][7]

References

1. ^ 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. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d e f Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b c d e f g Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ a b c d e f g Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
9. ^ 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