depravo Latin · revision 33986

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=190–159 BC, Terence|origins=la prāvus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [deːˈpraː.woː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [deˈpraː.vo]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dēprāvō''' (present infinitive dēprāvāre, perfect active dēprāvāvī, supine dēprāvātum); first conjugation^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|dē-|prāvus|t2=crooked]], a verb made from the adjective.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan finds no etymology for [[m|la|prāvus]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLL finds it from Terence on,^(TLL) whose ''Phormio'' says that there is nothing that cannot be spoilt by being told badly.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It means to make crooked, to distort or deform:^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Varro says few things are not distorted by age, and uses it of crooked legs that are set straight.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Pliny the Elder notes that only in man are the eyes distorted, whence the surnames Strabo and Paetus.^(Lewis & Short 1879) From Cicero on it means to lead someone away from a right opinion and to corrupt morally: Cicero writes that too great an abundance of everything had corrupted them.^(OLD 2012) It also means to pervert ideas or twist words, and Quintilian has ''dēprāvāta imitātiō'', a caricature.^(OLD 2012) Döderlein sets it against ''corrumpere'': ''dēprāvāre'' makes something worse but still curable, turned from its proper use, while ''corrumpere'' spoils it completely.^(Döderlein 1874) English [[m|en|deprave]] comes from it, partly through Old French, in the late 14th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence of a story spoilt in the telling.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro of distortion by age.^(OLD 2012)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of moral corruption.^(OLD 2012)

+ * c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian of caricature.^(OLD 2012)

+ * late 14th century – English [[m|en|deprave]], from Latin, partly through Old French.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To make crooked, [[m|en|distort]], [[m|en|deform]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To mislead; to [[m|en|corrupt]] morally, [[m|en|deprave]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # To pervert (ideas); to twist (words); ''dēprāvāta imitātiō'', a [[m|en|caricature]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dēprāvātiō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[prāvus]]

+ * [[prāvitās]]

+ * [[en|deprave]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}