obscenus Latin · revision 5366

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=Plautus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ɔpˈskeː.nʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [obˈʃɛː.nus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''obscēnus''' (feminine obscēna, neuter obscēnum, superlative obscēnissimus); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is uncertain.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Lewis & Short and Georges derive it from [[ob]] and [[caenum]] “filth, mud”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Pokorny, as Wiktionary reports, traces it to [[ine-pro|*ḱweyn-|t=to soil; mud]], with [[inquino|alt=inquinō]] and ''caenum'', though de Vaan calls a link between ''caenum'' and ''inquinō'' formally impossible.^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008) Spellings [[m|la|obscaenus]] and [[m|la|opscēnus]] are found.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Plautus applies it to the private parts.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its first sense in religion was ill-boding, ominous, as Lucilius' prayer that the king of the gods avert ill-omened words, Cicero, and Virgil's birds of ill omen.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) It meant disgusting or filthy, as Virgil's Harpies and Ovid's foul laughter, and of the sexual and excretory parts and functions.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ Of language and conduct it meant indecent, obscene, as Cicero's “a most obscene story” and his discussion of whether anything is obscene to say.^(OLD 2012) As a noun it meant a foul-mouthed person or a pervert.^(OLD 2012) English ''obscene'' was borrowed from French in the 1590s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of the private parts.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it of ill-omened words.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of an obscene story.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of the Harpies.^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1590s – English ''obscene'' is borrowed.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Ill-boding, [[m|en|ominous]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Filthy, disgusting, loathsome.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of the sexual or excretory parts.^(OLD 2012)

+ # [[m|en|Indecent]], [[m|en|obscene]], lewd.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A pervert; a foul-mouthed person.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[obscēnitās]]

+ * [[subobscēnus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[caenum]]

+ * [[en|obscene]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}