recens Latin · revision 2900

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited, compound|attested=Plautus|origins=ine-pro *ken-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈrɛ.kẽːs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈrɛː.t͡ʃens]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''recēns''' (genitive recentis, comparative recentior, superlative recentissimus); third-declension one-termination adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is probably a compound, [[inh|itc-pro|*wre-kent(i)-]], of [[m|la|re-|t=again]] and a word for “young, first”, from [[ine-pro|*ken-t-|t=young, new]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(TLL)^(Wiktionary) The TLL explains the meaning as “having a new beginning”.^(TLL)

+

+ Cognate with [[sga|cét-|t=first]], [[sa|कन्या|tr=kanyā́|t=girl]] and [[grc|καινός|tr=kainós|t=new]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found from Plautus onwards,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) who says that a fish “is worthless unless it is fresh”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant recent, lately done or made, as in Terence's “while this grief is fresh”, and of troops fresh and not yet tired, as in Caesar.^(OLD 2012) Of food it meant [[m|en|fresh]], as Cato's fresh cheese, and with ''ab'' it meant fresh from, as a foal just born.^(OLD 2012) Things were fresh in the memory, and later writers were called ''recentes'', “modern”.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913) It was also an adverb, “lately, just”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Medieval Latin used it for food that was not salted,^(Niermeyer 1976)^(Köbler 2010) and English law spoke of ''vis recens'', “fresh force”.^(DMLBS) It survives as Italian and Portuguese ''recente'' and Spanish ''reciente'', and English took ''recent'' in the early 15th century.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of fresh fish.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of fresh grief.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of fresh cheese.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of fresh troops.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * early 15th century – English ''recent'' is first recorded, of fresh food.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|Recent]], new, lately made or done.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(of troops)'' Fresh, not tired.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(of food)'' [[m|en|Fresh]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''recens ab'' Fresh from, just after.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Fresh in the memory.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(of writers)'' Modern.^(Georges 1913)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin, of food)'' Unsalted.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Lately, recently, just.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[recentarius]]

+ * [[recentor]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|recent]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Döderlein distinguishes ''novus'', new as what did not exist before, the opposite of ''antiquus'', from ''recens'', new as what has not long existed, the opposite of ''vetus''.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}