confidens Latin · revision 34122

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

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''cōnfīdēns''' (genitive cōnfīdentis, comparative cōnfīdentior, superlative cōnfīdentissimus); third-declension one-termination adjective^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Used as an adjective, it is the present participle [[der|la|cōnfīdō|t=to trust, be confident]].^(OLD 2012)^(Bianchi & Lelli 2014)^(Köbler 2010) That verb is a compound of [[m|la|con-]] and [[m|la|fīdō|t=to trust]], which de Vaan traces to [[itc-pro|*feiþe-]] and [[ine-pro|*bʰeidʰ-e/o-|t=to trust]]; it is cognate with [[grc|πείθομαι|tr=peíthomai|t=to be convinced, obey]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler records it first in Plautus.^(Köbler 2010) The OLD's first quotation is ''quī mē alter est audācior homō aut quī cōnfīdentior?'', “what other man is bolder or more self-assured than I?”.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Lewis & Short say that the good sense, bold, undaunted, is perhaps only ante-classical: Plautus says an innocent slave should be ''cōnfīdēns'', and Terence has ''cōnfīdēns, catus'', “bold, shrewd”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(OLD 2012) More often it is bad, overconfident or impudent: Plautus has ''nihil hōc cōnfīdentius'', “nothing more brazen than this”, Terence calls a parasite ''homō cōnfīdēns'', and Lucilius has ''improbus, cōnfīdēns, nēquam''.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Virgil has the superlative in ''iuvenum cōnfīdentissime'', “most presumptuous of young men”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Of actions it means bold, daring, as in Cicero's ''cōnfīdēns astūtia''.^(OLD 2012) Köbler lists medieval sources, among them Marculf's formulary, and a medieval noun, “one who trusts”, in Freising charters of 829.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it in good and bad senses.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of an old man and of a parasite.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it among terms of abuse.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero says it is counted a fault.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil uses the superlative.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 829 – Freising charters use it as a noun, “one who trusts”.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|confident|alt=Confident]], bold, self-assured.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Bianchi & Lelli 2014)

+ # [[m|en|overconfident|alt=Overconfident]], [[m|en|presumptuous]], [[m|en|impudent]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)

+ # (of actions) Bold, daring.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' One who trusts.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[cōnfīdenter]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cōnfīdō]]

+ * [[cōnfīdentia]]

+ * [[fīdēns]]

+ * [[fīdō]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Cicero, in the ''Tusculan Disputations'', says that the brave man should be called ''fīdēns'', since ''cōnfīdēns'', by a bad habit of speech, is counted a fault, although it comes from ''cōnfīdere'', which is praiseworthy.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) The adverb is [[cōnfīdenter]].^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}