perverse Latin · revision 34675

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=204–169 BC, Ennius|origins=la pervertō}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''perversē''' (adverb)^(OLD 2012)

+ Also spelled ''pervorsē''.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|perversus|-ē|t1=turned the wrong way, perverse]].^(OLD 2012) The adjective is the participle of [[m|la|pervertō|t=to overturn]],^(OLD 2012) a compound of [[m|la|per-|t=thoroughly]] and [[m|la|vertō|t=to turn]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest example is from Ennius' tragedies: ''haec tu etsi perverse dices, facile Achivos flexeris'', “even if you say this wrongly, you will easily sway the Achaeans”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Plautus uses it of wrong judgement and also as a colloquial intensive, “wildly”, as in ''erras perverse'', “you are wildly mistaken”.^(OLD 2012) Cicero applies it to misusing the gods' kindness and to cunning that falsely imitates prudence, and in the sense “unreasonably, perversely”.^(OLD 2012) In its literal sense, “back to front”, Mela says that the Egyptians use their letters that way, and Suetonius has a curule chair set the wrong way round.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ In medieval British Latin it often implies wickedness: Bede speaks of corrupting Christ's words by living or interpreting perversely.^(DMLBS)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of speaking wrongly.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it as an intensive, “wildly”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of acting unreasonably.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 43/44 AD – Mela uses it of writing back to front.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1st third of 8th century AD – Bede uses it of perverse living and interpretation.^(DMLBS)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # The wrong way round, [[m|en|back to front]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # Wrongly, mistakenly;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) wrong-headedly, [[m|en|perversely]], unreasonably.^(OLD 2012)^(DMLBS)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' As an intensive, wildly, “like mad”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}