Etymologically
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vituperatio

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [wɪ.tʊ.pɛˈraː.ti.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [vi.tu.peˈrat.t͡si.o][1]

Forms

vituperātiō f (genitive vituperātiōnis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin vituperō (“to find fault with, censure”) + -tiō.[2][1][3] The OLD derives that verb from vitium (“fault”), comparing perhaps aequiperō;[2][1] Wiktionary suggests ⟨vitium⟩ with parō.[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨vitium⟩ to Proto-Italic *witio- (“deviation, fault”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from the Rhetorica ad Herennium.[3] Lewis & Short call it frequent and classical;[5] Cicero speaks of censuring someone with the common blame.[5]

Semantic evolution

It is unfavourable criticism, blaming, censure, either given or received; it is the opposite of praise, laus or laudātiō, in Quintilian and Cicero.[2][5][6] Church Latin glosses it defamation, slander, censure.[7] English vituperation dates from the mid-15th century, from Old French or directly from the Latin.[8]

Timeline

  • 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium.[3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of common censure.[5]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian opposes it to praise.[5]
  • mid-15th century – English vituperation.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A blaming, censure, unfavourable criticism, vituperation.[2][5][1][7]
  2. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Defamation, slander.[7]

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes reprehendere, blaming to correct a fault and warn for the future, from vituperāre, blaming so that the fault is acknowledged with shame;[6] reprehēnsiō is opposed to approval, vituperātiō to praise.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  7. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com