vix

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwɪks]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈviks]^[1]

Forms

vix (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is probably inherited from Proto-Italic *wiks, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *wik- (“bond, tie; turn”).^[2][1] De Vaan follows Walde and Hofmann in deriving it from the root of vincō: ⟨*wik-s⟩ could be the nominative of a root noun “bond, tie” or “victory”, or a locative plural ⟨*wik-su⟩ “within bonds”, like mox “soon” from ⟨*moḱsu⟩; the meaning “bond” leads most easily to “hardly”.^[2] A derivation from ⟨*wiki-⟩ “turn, occasion”, as in vicis, is semantically possible but morphologically harder.^[2] The OLD calls the etymology doubtful.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus.^[2][3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant with difficulty, hardly, not easily, as in Cicero's dīcī vix potest “it can hardly be said”, and hardly at all, scarcely, barely, only just, as in Plautus and Caesar, vix et aegrē meant with great difficulty, as in Apuleius, and vixdum scarcely yet.^[3][5][6][4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant hardly, scarcely, with effort.^[7] British Medieval Latin used it for with difficulty.^[8] Romanian abia and Spanish abés come from a reshaped form.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[6][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. With difficulty, hardly, not easily.^[3]
2. Scarcely, barely, only just.^[3]

Word family

• vixdum

Related words

• vicis
• vinciō
• vincō

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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 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. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ 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