veridicus

Forms

vēridicus (feminine vēridica, neuter vēridicum); first/second-declension adjective^[1] The spelling ⟨veredicus⟩ also occurs.^[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin vērus (“true”) + -dicus (“saying”),^[3][1] with the second part from dīcō² (“to say”).^[4][5] De Vaan derives ⟨vērus⟩ from Proto-Italic *wēro- and Proto-Indo-European *ueh₁-ro- (“true”).^[6] Cognate with Old Irish fír (“true”) and Old High German wār (“true”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Lucretius,^[4] who speaks of a truth-telling mouth.^[7][2]

Semantic evolution

It was used above all of prophets and prophecies that tell the truth:^[3] Cicero writes of truth-telling voices, Livy of a truthful interpreter of the gods, and Martial of truth-telling sisters.^[7][5] Less often it meant truly said or truly foretold: Pliny the Elder writes of a prophecy fulfilled in the event and of what experience has shown to be true.^[3][2] Lewis and Short call it rare but classical.^[7] Augustine and Ammianus have the adverb vērīdicē.^[7]

In Medieval Latin a charter could be called veridicus, genuine as opposed to forged; it also meant establishing the facts, the neuter plural vēridica meant the facts, and the masculine noun a sworn municipal officer who could testify in a lawsuit.^[8] British writers used it of a truthful prophet or a truthful people.^[9] English veridical comes from it.^[10]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of a truth-telling mouth.^[7][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of truthful voices.^[7][4]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of an interpreter of the gods.^[7][4]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of a prophecy fulfilled.^[3][4]
• 1650s – Borrowed into English as veridical.^[10]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (of prophets and prophecies) Telling the truth, truthful, veracious.^[3][7]
2. Truly said or truly foretold; true.^[3][2]
3. (Medieval Latin) (of a charter) Genuine.^[8]

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A sworn municipal officer qualified to testify in a lawsuit.^[8]

Related words

• vērus
• vērāx
• fātidicus
• English veridical

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
3. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
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
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com