nimirum Latin · revision 30993

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=la nī, la mīrus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [niːˈmiː.rũː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [niˈmiː.rum]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''nīmīrum''' (not comparable)^(Wiktionary)

+ It is also written as two words, ''nī mīrum''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a fusion of [[m|la|nī|t=if not, unless]] and [[m|la|mīrum|t=a wonder]], the neuter of [[m|la|mīrus|t=wonderful]]: literally “unless it is a wonder”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Lewis & Short 1879) De Vaan traces ⟨nī⟩ to [[ine-pro|*nei]], ⟨ne⟩ “not” with a deictic particle;^(de Vaan 2008) ⟨mīrus⟩ goes back to [[ine-pro|*sméyros|t=laughing, smiling]], and is related to [[en|smile]].^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler gives Plautus as its first author.^(Köbler 2010) Terence has ''nīmīrum hominēs frīgent'', “they are surely given a cold welcome”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It puts forward a statement as beyond doubt: “without doubt, evidently, of course”, often in Cicero.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It answers questions: Cicero has a speaker asked what that matters reply ''nīmīrum'', “why, the whole case turns on it”.^(OLD 2012) Very often it is ironic, “to be sure, forsooth”: Horace asks whether things will always go well for the rich man alone, and Tacitus mocks a general who shuts himself in, ready, no doubt, to endure a siege.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Lewis and Short note it is weaker than ''mīrum nī''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “truly, certainly, undoubtedly”.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence in the sense “surely”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero in answers.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace in ironic use.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Without doubt, [[m|en|evidently]], of course, surely.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # ''(in answers)'' Why, of course.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(ironic)'' To be sure, [[m|en|forsooth]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[nī]]

+ * [[mīrus]]

+ * [[mīror]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}