vafer Latin · revision 6190

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈwa.fɛr]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvaː.fer]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''vafer''' (feminine vafra, neuter vafrum, superlative vaferrimus, adverb vafrē); first/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Its origin is unknown.^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010) If the gloss form [[m|la|vabrum]] is reliable, it could be the native Roman form, and ''vafer'' a borrowing from a neighbouring dialect, as with [[būfō]] “toad”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) A native *vaber could continue [[itc-pro|*wasro-|t=versatile]], related to [[varius]] “variegated”, or *waþ-ro- “moving along”, from [[vādō]] “to go”.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Afranius.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) Köbler dates Afranius to the second half of the 2nd century BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant clever in stratagem, artful, cunning, crafty, as Cicero's description of a man who is not open or honest but sly and obscure.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Of actions and words it meant artful, subtle, as Horace's ''vafrī īnscītia iūris'' “ignorance of legal subtleties” and Cicero's ''nihil vafrum''.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Döderlein groups it with [[astūtus]] and [[callidus]], words for cunning.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ In Medieval Latin it kept the sense artful, cunning.^(DMLBS) Italian ''vafro'' is a learned borrowing.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 2nd century BC – Afranius uses it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a sly man.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of legal subtleties.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|Cunning]], artful, [[m|en|crafty]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(of actions, words)'' Subtle, artful.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[varius]]

+ * [[astūtus]]

+ * [[callidus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}