despectus Latin · revision 9196

16 Oct 2026, 18:04 by bogdan “New Latin entry (sources: de Vaan, OLD, Lewis & Short, TLL...)” current version
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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Lucretius|origins=la speciō}}
+ 
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA (Classical): [deːsˈpɛk.tʊs], [deːsˈpɛk.tuːs]^(Wiktionary)
+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [desˈpɛk.tus], [desˈpɛk.tus]^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Forms==
+ '''dēspectus''' ''m'' (genitive dēspectūs); fourth declension^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Etymology==
+ The adjective is the participle of [[dēspiciō]] “to look down on, despise”, and the noun is from the same verb with the suffix [[-tus]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ The OLD's earliest citation for the noun is from Lucretius, “a view from a height”.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Lucretius 96–55 BC.^(Köbler 2010)
+ 
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ As a noun it meant a view from a height, as in Lucretius and repeatedly in Caesar, who says that from the town there was a view down onto the plain, and in Apuleius contempt, scorn.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016) As an adjective it meant despised, despicable, insignificant, as in Tacitus.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)
+ 
+ In Medieval Latin it meant contempt of court, refusal to obey an order.^(Niermeyer 1976) Bede and other British Medieval Latin writers used it for contempt and insult.^(DMLBS) Through Old French ''despit'' it gave [[en|despite]] about 1300, “contemptuous defiance”, and it survives in Italian ''dispetto'' and Spanish ''despecho''.^(Etymonline)^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of a view.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of a view onto a plain.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses it of contempt.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * c. 1300 – English ''despite'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Noun===
+ # A view from a height.^(OLD 2012)
+ # [[m|en|contempt|alt=Contempt]], scorn.^(OLD 2012)
+ 
+ ===Adjective===
+ # Despised, despicable.^(OLD 2012)
+ 
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[dēspiciō]]
+ * [[en|despite]]
+ 
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}