benevolens Latin · revision 34592

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [bɛˈnɛ.wɔ.ɫẽːs]^(Wiktionary)

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

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''benevolēns''' (genitive benevolentis, comparative benevolentior, superlative benevolentissimus); third-declension one-termination adjective^(Wiktionary)

+ Manuscripts also have the spelling ''benivolēns''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|bene|volō#1|t1=well|t2=to wish]], from the present participle of the verb.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) Lewis and Short call it the ante-classical counterpart of the classical [[benevolus]].^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found from Plautus on,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) in whose plays it is very frequent;^(Lewis & Short 1879) in the ''Casina'' ''mei benevolentes atque amici'' are “my well-wishers and friends”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Plautus it means kind, friendly or well-disposed, also of the gods (''cum dis benevolentibus'', “with the gods' favour”), and as a noun a well-wisher or friend;^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Terence has the noun too.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Cicero uses the comparative and superlative in his letters, as ''benevolentior tibi quam fui sum factus'', “I have become better disposed to you than I was”.^(TLL)^(Conte 2010)

+

+ In early medieval formulae the noun appears in letter greetings from a well-wisher;^(MLW)^(Köbler 2010) medieval writers also called God gracious with it, and used it of people ready to serve.^(MLW)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it often as adjective and noun.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses the noun for a well-wisher.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses its comparative and superlative in letters.^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * early 8th–10th century – Early medieval formulae use it in letter greetings.^(MLW)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Kind, friendly, [[m|en|benevolent]], well-disposed.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # [[m|en|favourable|alt=Favourable]], [[m|en|propitious]] (of the gods).^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' Gracious (of God); willing.^(MLW)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|well-wisher]], friend.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[benevolus]]

+ * [[benevolentia]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}