maledicus Latin · revision 34250

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [maˈɫɛ.dɪ.kʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [maˈlɛː.di.kus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''maledicus''' (feminine maledica, neuter maledicum, comparative maledīcentior, superlative maledīcentissimus); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+ The comparative and superlative are supplied by ''maledīcentior'' and ''maledīcentissimus'', from ''maledīcēns''.^(TLL)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|male|-dicus|t1=badly|t2=saying]], the adjective beside [[m|la|maledīcō|t=to speak ill of, slander]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) The second part belongs to [[m|la|dīcō#2|t=to say]], which de Vaan traces to [[itc-pro|*deik-e/o-|t=to say]] and [[ine-pro|*deiḱ-e/o-|t=to show]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLL finds it from Plautus on,^(TLL) whose ''Asinaria'' has ''pro dictis vostris maledicis'', “for your abusive words”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Of persons it means evil-speaking, slanderous, abusive: the ''Rhetorica ad Herennium'' speaks of people malevolent and abusive by nature, and Cicero of a suspicious and slanderous city and of an abusive railer.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Quintilian has ''maledicum esse in aliquem'', “to be abusive towards someone”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Of things it is used of speech and remarks, as in Valerius Maximus' ''maledica lingua'' of Old Comedy, and Quintilian uses the neuter plural for abusive matter in iambic verse.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913) Rufinus defines the ''maledicus'' as anyone whose speech aims to defame or disparage another, even if it does not seem insulting.^(TLL) In Ecclesiastical Latin it means foul-mouthed, slanderous, and as a noun a railer;^(Stelten 1995) Stelten also lists the sense cursed, accursed.^(Stelten 1995) Medieval writers in Britain use it of persons, speech and things, as Bede of evil-speaking men and a council record of 1408 of a schism.^(DMLBS)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of abusive words.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of slanderous people and of a city.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of abusive speakers and verse.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * Medieval Latin – Bede uses it of evil-speaking men.^(DMLBS)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of persons, evil-speaking, [[m|en|slanderous]], [[m|en|abusive]], foul-mouthed.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # Of speech and remarks, abusive, [[m|en|scurrilous]]; in the neuter plural, abusive things.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' As a noun, a railer, slanderer.^(Stelten 1995)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' Cursed, [[m|en|accursed]].^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[maledictum]]

+ * [[maledīcentia]]

+ * [[benedīcō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}