simplicitas Latin · revision 31647

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=96–55 BC, Lucretius|origins=la simplex}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''simplicitās''' ''f'' (genitive simplicitātis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|simplex|-tās|t1=simple, single]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan traces ⟨simplex⟩ to [[itc-pro|*sm̥plaks|alt=*sm̥-plak-|t=simple]], with the prefix [[ine-pro|*sm̥-|t=one]] also seen in [[semel|t=once]] and [[semper|t=always]], cognate with [[sa|सकृत्|tr=sakṛ́t|t=once]] and [[grc|ἅπαξ|tr=hápax|t=once]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan and Köbler date it from Lucretius,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) who says the first bodies are solid in their singleness.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its first sense is “singleness, unity”, and in Juvenal singleness of mind, a wife's devotion to one man.^(OLD 2012) It is rare until after Augustus and is not found in Cicero.^(Lewis & Short 1879) It then meant plainness and lack of elaboration, as Ovid's “once there was rough simplicity, now Rome is golden”, and above all an open, guileless nature: Livy has boyish candour, and also frankness and good humour used to calm someone's anger.^(OLD 2012) It could also be naivety, lack of sophistication, as in the elder Seneca.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “simplicity”.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius of the singleness of atoms.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

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

+ * 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid of simple manners.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 67–c. 127 AD – Juvenal of singleness of mind.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Singleness of nature, [[m|en|unity]]; singleness of mind.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Plainness, [[m|en|simplicity]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # An open, guileless nature, [[m|en|ingenuousness]]; naivety.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|frankness|alt=Frankness]], openness, [[m|en|candour]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[simplex]]

+ * [[semel]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}