vilis

Forms

vīlis (neuter vīle, comparative vīlior, superlative vīlissimus); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *wesli-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *wes-li- (“that can be bought”), a deverbal adjective with passive meaning.^[2][1] The expected ⟨*vēlis⟩ was raised to ⟨vīlis⟩, perhaps under the influence of the ⟨v⟩ (Watkins).^[2] The root is that of vēnum (“sale”), cognate with Hittite wāš- (“to buy”).^[2][1][3] The OLD calls the etymology doubtful.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus,^[2][4] who has nec quicquam hīc vīle nunc est nisi mōrēs malī, “nothing is cheap here now but bad morals”, and quantī eam ēmit? vīlī, “how much did he pay for her? little”.^[5][3]

Semantic evolution

Vīlis is first “cheap, costing little”, the opposite of cārus, and in the ablative or genitive “cheaply”.^[3][5][1] From this it means “of little value, worthless”, “contemptible” (Plautus calls a phrase vīlissumum), and “of little account” (Cicero: my life ought not to be cheap to the Roman people).^[3][1] It is also “low, mean” in rank or station, and of plants and products “common, ordinary” (Virgil: vīlem phasēlum, “the humble kidney bean”).^[3]

Church Latin glosses it “cheap, vile, base, worthless, common”;^[6] in medieval Latin it is “of servile or dependent status”.^[7] English vile comes from it through Old French about 1300.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: nec quicquam hīc vīle nunc est.^[5][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero: vīlis meus spīritus.^[3][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil: vīlem phasēlum.^[3][4]
• c. 1300 – English vile.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. cheap, inexpensive.^[3][5][1][6]
2. Of little value, worthless.^[3][1][6]
3. contemptible, base; of little account.^[3][1][6]
4. Low, mean (in rank); common, ordinary.^[3][6]
5. (Medieval Latin) Of servile or dependent status.^[7]

Word family

• ēvīlēscō
• vīlēscō
• vīlificō
• vīlipendium
• vilipendō
• vīlitās
• vīliter
• vīlitō

Related words

• vēnum
• vēndō
• English vile

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
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. ^ a b c d e Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com