maleficium Latin · revision 30945

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=la malus, la faciō}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''maleficium''' ''n'' (genitive maleficiī or maleficī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|la|maleficus|-ium|t1=wicked, harmful]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) The adjective is [[m|la|male|t=badly]], from [[m|la|malus|t=bad]], with [[m|la|faciō|t=to do]]; de Vaan finds the further origin of ⟨malus⟩ uncertain.^(Köbler 2010)^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Plautus, ''Rudens'': ''nē cōnsciī sint ipsī maleficī suī'', “so that they may not be privy to their own misdeed”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is a misdeed, crime or offence, as in Cicero's guilty conscience over crimes, and also a wrong or injury done to someone: Terence's people would not even return a kindness for an injury.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) In Apuleius ''maleficium magicum'' or ''maleficium'' alone is black magic, sorcery: he is accused of magic misdeeds.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) In Pliny the Elder the plural is noxious creatures, vermin.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of a misdeed.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence of an injury.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of crimes.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder of vermin.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius of sorcery.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A misdeed, [[m|en|crime]], offence.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An injury, wrong, hurt.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Black magic, [[m|en|sorcery]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(plural)'' Noxious creatures, [[m|en|vermin]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[maleficiārius]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[maleficus]]

+ * [[beneficium]]

+ * [[malus]]

+ * [[faciō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}