comptus Latin · revision 32929

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=81–43 BC, Cicero|origins=ine-pro *h₁em-}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''cōmptus''' (feminine cōmpta, neuter cōmptum, comparative cōmptior); first/second-declension adjective^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Used as an adjective, it is the perfect participle [[der|la|cōmō|t=to arrange, adorn]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) De Vaan explains that verb as a compound of [[m|la|emō]] in its old sense “to take”, going back to [[itc-pro|*eme/o-|t=to take]] and [[ine-pro|*h₁em-|t=to take]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler dates it from Cicero,^(Köbler 2010) who notes a man's dressed hair.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It means adorned, decorated, as the ''Culex'' has Tisiphone adorned with snakes all over; of hair it is dressed, arranged.^(OLD 2012) Of persons it is spruced up, smart, as Horace's well-groomed serving boys.^(OLD 2012) Of speech and writing it is elegant, neat, polished: Cicero speaks of a style that is plausible if not too polished.^(OLD 2012) Festus records a kind of offering made of moistened flour called by this name.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of dressed hair and of polished style.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace of well-groomed boys.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Adorned, decorated;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) ''(of hair)'' dressed, arranged.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(of persons)'' Spruced up, [[m|en|smart]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(of style)'' [[m|en|elegant|alt=Elegant]], neat, [[m|en|polished]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[como|alt=cōmō]]

+ * [[emo|alt=emō]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ There is also a rare noun ''cōmptus, -ūs'', adornment, which Festus reports from Afranius and which Lucretius uses of a maiden's dressed hair.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010) Lucretius' ''comptus'' “union” of body and soul is explained by Lewis & Short from ''coemō'' “to join”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}