facetiae Latin · revision 33053

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

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''facētiae''' ''f pl'' (genitive facētiārum); first declension^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|facētus|-ia|t1=witty, clever]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010) The origin of the adjective is doubtful: the ancients derived it from [[m|la|faciō|t=to do]], and the OLD thinks it may be connected with [[m|la|fax|t=torch]].^(OLD 2012) Wiktionary gives both that link and a derivation from [[ine-pro|*ǵʰweh₂k-|t=to shine]], comparing [[lt|žvakė|t=candle]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler dates it from Plautus,^(Köbler 2010) who has a woman whose heart is full of cleverness and guile, and a clever action.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Plautus it is cleverness or skill, or a clever action;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Velleius Paterculus uses it of the elegance of the Latin wit of Caecilius and Terence.^(OLD 2012) From Cicero on it is above all wit, witty sayings and pleasantry:^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) in the ''Orator'' Cicero divides humour into two kinds, ''facētiae'' and ''dicācitās''.^(OLD 2012) Tacitus has biting witticisms, ''asperae facētiae''.^(Georges 1913) The singular ''facētia'' means a joke or witty remark in Plautus, who has the jest that two rivals love each other, and later in Caelius Aurelianus, Gellius and Apuleius.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of cleverness and of a joke.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of wit as one kind of humour.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ * c. 20 BC–30 AD – Velleius Paterculus of the wit of Caecilius and Terence.^(OLD 2012)

+ * 98–115 AD – Tacitus of biting witticisms.^(Georges 1913)

+ * c. 165 AD – Gellius in the singular.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Cleverness, skill; a clever action.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # Cleverness or aptness of expression.^(OLD 2012)

+ # [[m|en|wit|alt=Wit]], [[m|en|pleasantry]], [[m|en|humour]]; witty sayings, jokes.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)

+ # ''(singular facētia)'' A joke, witticism.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[facētus]]

+ * [[en|facetious]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}