blatio Latin · revision 6715

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=onomatopoeia|attested=Plautus}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''blatiō''' (present infinitive blatīre); fourth conjugation, no perfect or supine stems^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is onomatopoeic.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL) De Vaan sees in it the simple form *bl- of the reduplicated [[balbus]] “stammering”, with an extension -at-.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) [[blaterō]] “to babble” belongs with it.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus, whose character says “what nonsense you babble”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Transitively it meant to utter in a babbling way, as Plautus' ''nūgās blatīs'', and intransitively to prate, babble, as in Gellius.^(OLD 2012) Lewis and Short call it ante-classical and late, as in Tertullian.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Döderlein says ''blatīre'' and ''blaterāre'' point to the foolishness of what is said, while [[garriō]] points to love of talking.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ [[en|blatant]], coined by Spenser in 1596, was perhaps suggested by it.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of babbling nonsense.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1596 – Spenser coins English ''blatant'', perhaps after it.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|babble]] (nonsense).^(OLD 2012)

+ # To prate, chatter.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[balbus]]

+ * [[bālō]]

+ * [[blaterō]]

+ * [[garriō]]

+ * [[en|blatant]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}