egens Latin · revision 31030

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=ine-pro *h₁eǵ-es-}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''egēns''' (genitive egentis, comparative egentior, superlative egentissimus); third-declension one-termination adjective^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the present participle of [[m|la|egeō|t=to lack, need]], used as an adjective.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010) De Vaan traces ⟨egeō⟩ to [[itc-pro|*egē-|t=to lack]], beside an s-stem noun [[ine-pro|*h₁eǵ-es-|t=lack, need]], cognate with [[non|ekla|t=lack]].^(de Vaan 2008) Paul's epitome of Festus explained it as ⟨exgēns⟩, one who has not even a family (⟨gēns⟩) left.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLL finds the comparative already in Plautus' ''Vidularia'';^(TLL) Köbler gives Cicero as its first author.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is poor, needy, indigent, as Cicero's “nothing is poorer than that king”, and with the genitive in want of something (Cicero).^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Church Latin glosses it “needy”, and the Vulgate uses it of the poor.^(Stelten 1995)^(TLL)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus has the comparative.^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of the needy and of a poor king.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|needy|alt=Needy]], poor, [[m|en|indigent]].^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # Lacking, in want (of), with the genitive.^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[egeō]]

+ * [[egestās]]

+ * [[indigeō]]

+ * [[inops]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}