ridiculus Latin · revision 7986

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Plautus|origins=la rīdeō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [riːˈdɪ.kʊ.ɫʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [riˈdiː.ku.lus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''rīdiculus''' (feminine rīdicula, neuter rīdiculum, superlative rīdiculissimus, adverb rīdiculē); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from [[rīdeō]] “to laugh” with the diminutive suffix [[-culus]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) Festus says it properly means one laughed at for disgraceful things.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of what is funny, of a jester and of a joke.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant laughable, funny, comic, as Cicero's ''faciē magis quam facētiīs rīdiculus'' “funnier in his face than his wit”, and of persons a jester, buffoon, and as a neuter noun a joke, ''per rīdiculum'' in fun, as in Plautus.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) From Terence it meant absurd, silly, ridiculous, and ''rīdiculum!'' “absurd!”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ British Medieval Latin used it for amusing, comic.^(DMLBS) It was borrowed into Italian ''ridicolo'' and French ''ridicule'', and [[en|ridiculous]] came in the 1540s, and [[en|ridicule]] in the 1680s.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of the absurd.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a funny face.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1540s – English ''ridiculous'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Funny, comic; as a noun, a [[m|en|buffoon]]; a joke.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Absurd, [[m|en|ridiculous]], ''rīdiculum!'', absurd!^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[irrīdiculus]]

+ * [[perrīdiculus]]

+ * [[dērīdiculus]]

+ * [[rīdiculārius]]

+ * [[rīdiculē]]

+ * [[rīdiculōsus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[rīdeō]]

+ * [[rīsus]]

+ * [[en|ridiculous]]

+ * [[en|ridicule]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}