proclivis Latin · revision 34043

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [proːˈkliː.wɪs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [proˈkliː.vis]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''prōclīvis''' (neuter prōclīve, comparative prōclīvior); third-declension two-termination adjective^(Wiktionary)

+ A first/second-declension form ''prōclīvus'' is used by Plautus, Varro, Catullus and Frontinus.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|prō-|clīvus|-is|t2=slope]], a possessive compound “having a slope forward”, made with the same suffix as [[m|la|īnsignis]] or [[m|la|triennis]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan traces [[m|la|clīvus]] to [[itc-pro|*kle/oiwo-]] and [[ine-pro|*ḱloi-uo-|t=slope, hill]] or [[ine-pro|*ḱlei-u̯o-|t=sloping]], comparing [[lt|šleĩvas|t=bow-legged]] and [[goh|hlēo|t=grave mound]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates the adjective from Plautus and the neuter noun ''prōclīve'' “downward slope” from Naevius.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) In Plautus a speaker says that the place where he is told to set down a purse slopes away.^(OLD 2012)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is sloping downwards, going downhill, and of movement downward, as Lucretius' waves; the declamations ascribed to Quintilian use it of a declining age.^(OLD 2012) In early Latin it is figuratively steep, difficult, the opposite of ''plānus'' “level”: Plautus has a character promise to make a matter level out of steep.^(OLD 2012) More often it is easy, as though helped down a slope: Cicero sets easy things before laborious ones.^(OLD 2012) It is also inclined, prone or liable to something, as Terence says that all men's nature inclines from toil to pleasure.^(OLD 2012) Lewis & Short find the literal sense rare and not in Cicero or Caesar.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Döderlein distinguishes [[pronus|alt=prōnus]], inclination in general, from ''prōclīvis'', more often an inclination to something good, and [[propensus|alt=prōpēnsus]], to something bad.^(Döderlein 1874) Church Latin keeps the sense sloping, steep, downhill.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 235–200 BC – Naevius has the noun ''prōclīve''.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of a slope.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence of the inclination to pleasure.^(OLD 2012)

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius of downward movement.^(OLD 2012)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of easy things.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Sloping downwards, [[m|en|downhill]]; of movement, downward; of age, declining.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # ''(early Latin)'' [[m|en|steep|alt=Steep]], difficult.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|easy|alt=Easy]], effortless.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Inclined, [[m|en|prone]], liable.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[prōclīvitās]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[clivus|alt=clīvus]]

+ * [[acclivis|alt=acclīvis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}