mehercule Latin · revision 31718

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [meˈ(ɦ)ɛr.kʊ.ɫeː], [meˈ(ɦ)ɛr.kʊ.ɫɛ]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [meˈɛr.ku.le]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mehercule''' (interjection)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ It is also found as ''mehercle'' and ''meherculēs'', and written separately.^(OLD 2012)

+ Cicero preferred ''mehercule'' to ''meherculēs''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|mē|Herculēs]], “by Hercules”.^(OLD 2012) Festus explains it as an oath with “so may Hercules help me” understood;^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary takes it as short for ⟨adiuva mē Hercule⟩.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest example is Plautus' ''Rudens'', in the form ⟨mehercle⟩: “well done, by Hercules”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is an oath, “by Hercules!”, expressing surprise, annoyance or emphasis, and was normally used by men;^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Phaedrus and Seneca have it in the mouth of women.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Cato, Cicero, Catullus, Sallust and later prose writers use it, often in negations, as Cicero's “you would not, by Hercules, have said a word”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero, who prefers it to ''meherculēs''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Interjection===

+ # By [[m|en|Hercules]]! (an oath, chiefly of men).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[hercle]]

+ * [[ecastor|alt=ēcastor]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The shorter [[hercle]] is the same oath without the pronoun.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}