comitas Latin · revision 31606

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

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''cōmitās''' ''f'' (genitive cōmitātis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|cōmis|-tās|t1=courteous, friendly]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) De Vaan lists it under ⟨cōmis⟩, Old Latin ⟨cosmis⟩ in the Duenos inscription, which has been explained as [[itc-pro|*kom-smi-]] “smiling along with”, from a root [[ine-pro|*smi-|t=smile]] as in [[sa|स्मयते|tr=smáyate|t=smiles]]; he calls this uncertain, since no root noun for “smile” is known.^(de Vaan 2008) Döderlein's derivation from [[grc|κόσμος|tr=kósmos]] is older.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) where a slave boasts that something was done by his colleague's courage “and my courtesy”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is friendliness and courtesy, and in giving, generosity: in Plautus a man has lost a well-earned fortune through his generosity.^(OLD 2012) After Plautus it reappears with Cicero, who uses it often,^(TLL) for example of Cato's affability and easiness as against his correspondent's gravity and severity.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Curtius and Tacitus use it for refinement, good taste.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Church Latin has it for kindness and gentleness.^(Stelten 1995) In Medieval Latin it can also mean an association, a society.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of courtesy and generosity.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of affability.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1st century AD – Curtius of good taste.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Friendliness, [[m|en|courtesy]], [[m|en|affability]], kindness.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # [[m|en|generosity]], obligingness.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Good taste, [[m|en|elegance]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' An association, society.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cōmis]]

+ * [[hūmānitās]]

+ * [[facilitās]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Döderlein distinguishes it from ''hūmānitās'', which ennobles the whole person, ''facilitās'', social complaisance, and ''cīvīlitās'', a ruler's treating subjects as fellow-citizens: ''cōmitās'' is the moral virtue of treating everyone as a fellow human without regard to rank, as in Nepos' praise of Miltiades, whom even the humblest could approach.^(Döderlein 1874) Lewis and Short give ''benignitās'', ''facilitās'' and ''hūmānitās'' as near-synonyms and ''gravitās'' and ''sevēritās'' as opposites.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}