licet Latin · revision 18056

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 235–200 BC, Naevius|origins=itc-pro *lik-ē-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈlɪ.kɛt]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈliː.t͡ʃet]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''licet''' (present infinitive licēre, perfect active licuit or licitus est, supine licitum); second conjugation, third person-only, optionally semi-deponent, no passive^(Wiktionary)

+ The perfect is ''licuit'' or ''licitum est'', used by classical writers apparently without difference.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ Plautus has the old future perfect ''licessit'', and laws have the imperative ''licētō''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*lik-ē-|t=to be available, have the value of]].^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan thinks the first meaning was “to be on offer, be for sale, be worth”, as in [[m|la|liceō|t=to fetch a price]] and [[m|la|liceor|t=to bid]]; there are no certain cognates outside Italic.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) [[osc|líkítud|t=let it be permitted]] is borrowed or calqued from Latin.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Naevius.^(de Vaan 2008) Plautus has ''intrō īre in aedīs numquam licitum est'', “it was never allowed to go into the house”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Licet'' is “it is permitted, one may”, with an infinitive, an accusative and infinitive, or a subjunctive (Plautus: ''licet mē id scīre quid sit?'', “may I know what it is?”).^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) In dialogue it is an answer to a request, “yes, certainly” (Plautus).^(OLD 2012) With a neuter pronoun as subject it is “to be permitted” (Cicero: ''tibi hoc licitum esse'').^(OLD 2012)

+

+ With the subjunctive it became a conjunction, “although, even if” (Cicero: ''licet iste dīcat ēmisse sē'', “although he may say he bought it”), later also with the indicative (Apuleius) or with no verb (Propertius, Ovid).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995) From it were formed [[m|la|scīlicet|t=evidently]], [[m|la|vidēlicet|t=clearly]] and [[m|la|īlicet|t=you may go]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''intrō īre in aedīs numquam licitum est''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero: ''licet iste dīcat'', “although he may say”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius has it with the indicative.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(impersonal)'' It is [[m|en|permitted]], one may.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # ''(as a reply)'' Yes, certainly.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # [[m|en|although]], even if.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[īlicet]]

+ * [[illicitus]]

+ * [[licēns]]

+ * [[licenter]]

+ * [[licentia]]

+ * [[licentiātus]]

+ * [[licentiōsus]]

+ * [[licēscit]]

+ * [[licitus]]

+ * [[scīlicet]]

+ * [[vidēlicet]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[liceō]]

+ * [[liceor]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}