timiditas Latin · revision 34110

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=220–130 BC, Pacuvius|origins=la timeō}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''timiditās''' ''f'' (genitive timiditātis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|timidus|-tās|t1=fearful, timid]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Bianchi & Lelli 2014) The adjective comes from [[m|la|timeō|t=to fear]], whose origin is unclear: de Vaan finds the connection with words for “stiff” proposed by Walde–Hofmann and Pokorny hardly possible.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan and Köbler record it first in Pacuvius,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) in a line quoted by Nonius: ''ecfāre, quae cor tuom timiditās territet'', “say what fear is terrifying your heart”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Lewis & Short call it a favourite word of Cicero,^(Lewis & Short 1879) who lists it with dread, panic and cowardice,^(Lewis & Short 1879) and remarks that timidity is born of things, not of words.^(Lewis & Short 1879) In the plural it means signs or acts of cowardice, as in Cicero's speech for Milo.^(Georges 1913)^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Conte 2010) Suetonius also uses it.^(Conte 2010) In Jerome it is the fear of God,^(Conte 2010) and medieval writers in Britain use it as in Classical Latin.^(DMLBS) It lives on in [[m|fr|timidité]] and [[m|it|timidità]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 220–130 BC – Pacuvius uses it in a tragedy.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it often, also in the plural.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius uses it in his life of Augustus.^(Conte 2010)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 383–419/420 AD – Jerome uses it of the fear of God.^(Conte 2010)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Proneness to fear, [[m|en|timidity]], fearfulness; [[m|en|cowardice]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)

+ # ''(plural)'' Signs or acts of timidity or cowardice.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)^(Conte 2010)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' The fear of God.^(Conte 2010)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[timidus]]

+ * [[timeō]]

+ * [[timor]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}