oppido Latin · revision 33733

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''oppidō''' (not comparable)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is disputed.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) The OLD sees no necessary connection with [[m|la|oppidum|t=town]],^(OLD 2012) but de Vaan lists it under that noun and reports Nussbaum's explanation as “to the ground”, hence “utterly”, from the ⟨*ped-⟩ “place, ground” of [[itc-pro|*op-pe/od-o-]].^(de Vaan 2008) The TLL takes it as the ablative of an adjective ⟨*oppidus⟩ matching [[grc|ἔμπεδος|tr=émpedos|t=firm, steadfast]], of which [[m|la|oppidum]] would be the neuter.^(TLL)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Wiktionary reports the explanation as a dative of [[m|la|oppidum]], “enough for a whole town”.^(Wiktionary) That was already Festus' view: farmers asked how much grain each had harvested would answer that it was enough even for a town.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Plautus has it first,^(Köbler 2010)^(de Vaan 2008) as in ''oppido interii'', “I am done for completely”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is an intensifying adverb, “utterly, very”, mostly with adjectives and adverbs and less often with verbs.^(Georges 1913)^(OLD 2012) Lewis & Short note that it belongs to familiar speech and is not found in Cicero's speeches;^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Cicero has it in his letters and dialogues, as ''oppido pauci'', “very few”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Terence uses it, and in Plautus and Terence it can stand alone as an answer, “quite so”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Livy and Vitruvius have ''oppido quam'', “exceedingly”.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913) Quintilian says the speakers just before his time had used it, but it was already obsolete in his day;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Apuleius and Ammianus take it up again.^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus, “utterly”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence, of being very angry.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero, in letters and dialogues.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy, ''oppido quam''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian calls it obsolete.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 390 AD – Ammianus revives it.^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|utterly|alt=Utterly]], completely, [[m|en|exceedingly]], very.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''oppido quam'': exceedingly, extremely.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+ # As an answer: quite so, certainly.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[oppidum]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}