verbosus

Forms

verbōsus (feminine verbōsa, neuter verbōsum, comparative verbōsior); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin verbum (“word”) + -ōsus.^[2][1] The noun goes back to Proto-Italic *werþo- (“word”), which de Vaan, following Hackstein, analyses as an old compound meaning “making a statement”;^[3] its cognates include Lithuanian var̃das and Old High German wort (“word”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest quotations are Catullus's and Cicero's, who calls part of a speech multo verbosior, far wordier;^[2][4] de Vaan dates it from Varro.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It means full of words, prolix, of speeches, letters and laws: Cicero calls a letter of his perhaps wordier than his friend would like, and Ovid speaks of verbosae leges.^[2][5] Of people it is long-winded or talkative: Catullus uses it beside fatuus, foolish, Ovid has the verbosum forum, and Suetonius says Caligula criticised Livy as wordy and careless.^[2][5] Apuleius applies it to a talkative gull.^[2]

Ecclesiastical Latin keeps it,^[6] and medieval writers in Britain use it of speeches, writings and people, as Alcuin's advice not to fight the wordy with words.^[7] Italian has verboso from it.^[8]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses the comparative of a speech and a letter.^[2][4]
• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of people.^[2][4]
• c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius reports Caligula calling Livy verbosus.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Containing many words, prolix, lengthy.^[2][5]
2. Of people: long-winded, talkative.^[2][8]

Related words

• verbum

Usage notes

The adverb is verbōsē, “at length”, used by Cicero and Quintilian.^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ 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
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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
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 Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier