virulentus

Forms

vīrulentus (feminine vīrulenta, neuter vīrulentum, superlative vīrulentissimus, adverb vīrulentē); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin vīrus (“poison”) + -ulentus (“full of”).^[2][1] De Vaan traces vīrus to Proto-Italic *weis-o- (“poison”) and Proto-Indo-European *u̯eis (“poison”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Aulus Gellius,^[4] who uses it of venomous snakes.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

Gellius also uses it of a speech full of bitter abuse: in oratione illa saeva et virulenta, qua Timarchum accusabat, “in that fierce and venomous speech in which he accused Timarchus”.^[2] Leo the Great has the figurative sense too.^[6] The superlative virulentissimus appears in a work on friendship, which Georges cites under Cassiodorus and Gaffiot under Peter of Blois.^[7][8]

British medieval writers used it of what is poisonous or noxious, often figuratively of heresy, malice or speech.^[9] English took it over as virulent, first of wounds and ulcers full of poisonous matter.^[10]

Timeline

• c. 165 AD – Aulus Gellius uses it of venomous snakes and of an abusive speech.^[2][4]
• 440–461 AD – Leo the Great uses it figuratively.^[6][4]
• 639–709 AD – Aldhelm uses it figuratively of a wound to chastity.^[9][4]
• c. 1400 – English borrows it as virulent.^[10]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Full of poison, venomous (of snakes).^[2][5][7]
2. (figurative) Full of bitter abuse, virulent (of speech).^[2][6]
3. (Medieval Latin) Poisonous, noxious, also figuratively.^[9]

Related words

• vīrus
• English virulent

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
8. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
9. ^ a b c 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