repens Latin · revision 6108

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

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''repēns''' (genitive repentis, adverb repente); third-declension one-termination adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Its origin is uncertain.^(Wiktionary) Walde and Hofmann, Pokorny and Leumann take it from *wrep-, a form of [[ine-pro|*werp-|t=to twist]], with an original sense “with a sudden move”; the OLD and TLL compare [[grc|ῥέπω|tr=rhépō|t=to incline]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010) Ernout and Meillet proposed [[m|la|re-]] with a root of [[pendō]], which de Vaan finds unclear.^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan prefers [[itc-pro|*rep-nt-]], [[ine-pro|*h₁rep-n̥t-|t=seizing]], the aorist participle of the root of [[rapiō]] “to snatch”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Turpilius, whose character's heart is numbed by the sudden sight of a beloved.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant sudden, unexpected, unlooked for, as Cicero's sudden evils, and was a favourite word of Livy.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016) In Tacitus it meant new, not known until that moment.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Ovid uses it as an adverb, though [[repente]] was the usual one, and [[repentīnus]] was more frequent than the adjective.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(de Vaan 2008) Döderlein says ''repēns'' is opposed to what is expected, ''subitus'' to what is foreseen.^(Döderlein 1874)

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+ It survives in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese ''repente'' “sudden; suddenly”.^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of sudden misfortune.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it often.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of what is new.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|Sudden]], unexpected.^(OLD 2012)

+ # New, unheard of until then.^(OLD 2012)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[repentīnus]]

+ * [[repente]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[rapiō]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ It is distinct from ''rēpēns'', the present participle of [[rēpō]] “to creep”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}