speciosus Latin · revision 31453

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=81–43 BC, Cicero|origins=ine-pro *speḱ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [spɛ.kiˈoː.sʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [spe.t͡ʃiˈɔː.s̬us]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''speciōsus''' (feminine speciōsa, neuter speciōsum, comparative speciōsior, superlative speciōsissimus); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from [[m|la|speciēs|t=appearance, sight]] with the suffix [[m|la|-ōsus]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) ⟨speciēs⟩ belongs to [[m|la|speciō|t=to look]], which de Vaan traces to [[itc-pro|*spekje/o-]] and [[ine-pro|*speḱ-ie/o-|t=to look]], cognate with [[sa|पश्यति|tr=páśyati|t=sees]], [[grc|σκέπτομαι|tr=sképtomai|t=to look at]] and [[goh|spehōn|t=to spy]].^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler gives Cicero as its first author,^(Köbler 2010) who says that a fine voice makes what an orator says brilliant and striking, in the ''Brutus''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is attractive in appearance, good-looking or beautiful, as Horace's “I seek to feed tigers while I am beautiful”, and attractive to the mind, as Quintilian's theses, wonderfully appealing for practice in speaking.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) It is spectacular, splendid or impressive, as in Cicero, and outwardly impressive or showy, as the rewards in the ''Bellum Alexandrinum'' that made the army's love seem showy.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) It is also fine-sounding, plausible or specious, as Livy's men killed secretly where a charge would sound less plausible, and in Cicero's letters public, outward, of the reasons he gives.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Lewis and Short find it not frequent until after the Augustan period.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Church Latin glosses it “fair, beautiful, comely, handsome, attractive, splendid”.^(Stelten 1995) English ''specious'' (late 14th century) first meant “pleasing to the sight”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of brilliant speech and outward reasons.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace of beauty.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of plausible charges.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * late 14th century – English [[m|en|specious]] is from it.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Good-looking, [[m|en|beautiful]], handsome;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995) attractive, appealing.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Splendid, brilliant, impressive;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) [[m|en|showy]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Fine-sounding, plausible, [[m|en|specious]];^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) outward, public.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[inspeciōsus]]

+ * [[speciōsitās]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[speciēs]]

+ * [[speciōsē]]

+ * [[spectō]]

+ * [[pulcher]]

+ * [[speciō]]

+ * [[en|specious]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}