verecundus

Forms

verēcundus (feminine verēcunda, neuter verēcundum, comparative verēcundior); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin vereor (“to revere, fear”) + -cundus.^[2][1] De Vaan traces vereor to Proto-Italic *wer-ē- (“to be wary”) and Proto-Indo-European *u(e)r-eh₁- (“to note, sense”).^[3] Cognate with Old English wær (“careful, attentive”) and Old Norse varr (“careful”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus,^[3] whose Asinaria says that a young man should be modest.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It describes people restrained by scruples, modest or shy, and sensitive to shame, with a sense of honour, as Cicero writes that “we”, following duty rather than hope, had more self-respect than those who never left home.^[2][4] Of conduct it means seemly or becoming, and Quintilian uses it of what is shameful to say.^[2] Of speech it means restrained or modest, as Cicero's orator restrained and sparing in metaphors.^[2] Wiktionary adds the sense worthy of reverence.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of a modest young man.^[4][3][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of a sense of honour and of restrained style.^[2][5]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian of what is shameful to say.^[2][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Modest, bashful, shy; sensitive to shame, having a sense of honour.^[2][4][1]
2. Of conduct, seemly, becoming; arousing shame.^[2]
3. Of speech, restrained; of persons, moderate in something.^[2]
4. Worthy of reverence, venerable.^[1]

Word family

• verēcundia
• verēcunditer
• verēcundor

Related words

• verendus
• verenter
• vereor

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de