perplexus Latin · revision 33898

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=ine-pro *pleḱ-t-e/o-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [pɛrˈpɫɛk.sʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [perˈplɛk.sus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''perplexus''' (feminine perplexa, neuter perplexum); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the participle of an unattested compound ⟨*perplectō⟩, from [[m|la|per-|t=through]] and [[m|la|plectō|t=to plait, twine]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan traces [[m|la|plectō]] to [[itc-pro|*plekt-]] and [[ine-pro|*pleḱ-t-e/o-|t=to plait, twine]], with cognates such as [[grc|πλέκω|tr=plékō|t=to braid, twine]] and [[goh|flehtan|t=to plait]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler dates it from Plautus,^(Köbler 2010) who in the ''Miles gloriosus'' has a character ask what madness makes the other call him by a wrong, muddled name.^(OLD 2012) De Vaan dates the adjective from Lucretius.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It means entangled, intertwined: Lucretius has atoms hampered by their own entangled shapes,^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Virgil the tangled path of a wood,^(Lewis & Short 1879) and the Vulgate entwined sinews in Job.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Figuratively it is complicated and hard to sort out: in Livy envoys say they do not know what is complicated about their embassy, since they have come simply to ask for friendship,^(OLD 2012) and Livy calls a prophetic poem obscure, not only because the future is uncertain but also more puzzling in its kind of writing.^(OLD 2012) Lewis & Short note it is not in Cicero or Caesar.^(Lewis & Short 1879) The English [[m|en|perplex]] comes from it, through the earlier adjective ''perplex''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius of entangled atoms.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(de Vaan 2008)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil of a tangled path.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of a cryptic poem.^(OLD 2012)

+ * late 14th century – The English adjective ''perplex'' appears; the verb [[m|en|perplex]] follows in the 1590s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|entangled|alt=Entangled]], intertwined; muddled, mistaken.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Complicated, [[m|en|intricate]], hard to sort out;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) ''(of words)'' baffling, [[m|en|cryptic]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[perplexim]]

+ * [[perplexitās]]

+ * [[perplexor]]

+ * [[perplexē]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[plectō]]

+ * [[amplector]]

+ * [[complector]]

+ * [[en|perplex]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}