Etymologically
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violentus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [wi.ɔˈɫɛn.tʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [vi.oˈlɛn.tus][1]

Forms

violentus (feminine violenta, neuter violentum, superlative violentissimus, adverb violenter); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is apparently from violō “to treat with violence” with the suffix -entus (“full of”).[2][1][3] Lewis and Short and Köbler connect it with vīs “force”.[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of violent persons and actions.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

Of persons and animals it meant acting with force towards others, violent, savage, as Terence's very violent brother and Cicero's Antony, “violent and raging”, and of tyrants despotic.[2][4][6] Of actions and words it meant marked by violence, of weapons destructive, as in Lucretius, and of natural forces moving with destructive power, as in Cicero; of a statement it meant extreme.[2]

In Medieval Latin it described conduct marked by harmful force.[7] It survives in Italian and Portuguese violento and French violent.[1] English violent came in the mid-14th century, and English violence from violentia in the late 13th.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of violent persons.[2][5]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses the superlative of a brother.[4][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of Antony.[4][5]
  • mid-14th century – English violent is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Violent, savage, aggressive.[2]
  2. Marked by violence.[2]
  3. (of natural forces) Destructive, violent.[2]
  4. (of a statement) Strong, extreme.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  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