certe Latin · revision 17845

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=204–169 BC, Ennius|origins=ine-pro *krey-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈkɛr.teː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈt͡ʃɛr.te]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''certē''' (comparative certius, superlative certissimē)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|la|certus|-ē]], from the adjective “sure, certain”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan explains [[m|la|certus]] as the old past participle of [[cernō]] “to distinguish”, from [[itc-pro|*krito-|t=distinguished]], from [[ine-pro|*krito-|t=sifted]]; compare [[grc|κριτός|tr=kritós|t=chosen, separated]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Ennius writes ''certē Eurypylus hic quidem est'', “this is surely Eurypylus”;^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates it from Terence.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Certē'' means “certainly, without doubt”, in appeals and protests “surely”, in answers “yes, certainly”, and in questions “really?”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) With a restrictive force it means “at least, at any rate”, often after ''aut'' or ''vel'' (''aut falsa aut certē obscūra'' “either false or at least obscure”).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius: ''certē Eurypylus hic quidem est''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''is est, certē is est, is est profectō'', “it's he, certainly it's he, it's he indeed”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Found in Terence.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero: ''aut falsa aut certē obscūra opīniō''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|certainly]], without doubt, [[m|en|surely]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(in answers)'' Yes, certainly;^(OLD 2012) ''(in questions)'' really?^(OLD 2012)

+ # At least, at any rate.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[certus]]

+ * [[certō]]

+ * [[profectō]]

+ * [[cernō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}