forte Latin · revision 9522

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Ennius|origins=la fors}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈfɔr.tɛ]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfɔr.te]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''forte''' (not comparable)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the ablative of [[fors]] “chance, luck”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler 2010) De Vaan reconstructs ⟨fors⟩ as [[itc-pro|*forti-|t=luck]], perhaps from [[ine-pro|*bʰr̥-ti-|t=bearing]], from the root of ⟨ferō⟩ “to bear”.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citation is from Ennius, of something done by chance.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant by chance, accidentally, at random, as in Ennius; in narrative it introduces a chance event, “as it happened”; in conditions and questions it means “by any chance”, as in ''sī forte''; and in Horace and later perhaps, maybe.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) The OLD notes that it cannot easily be told apart from the ablative of ''fors'' used as an adverb.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Medieval Latin had a different ''forte'', from [[fortis]], meaning strongly.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace uses it for “perhaps”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # By [[m|en|chance]], accidentally.^(OLD 2012)

+ # As it happened.^(OLD 2012)

+ # (in conditions) By any chance.^(OLD 2012)

+ # [[m|en|perhaps|alt=Perhaps]], maybe.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fors]]

+ * [[forsan]]

+ * [[forsit]]

+ * [[forsitan]]

+ * [[fortāsse]]

+ * [[fortāssis]]

+ * [[fortuītō]]

+ * [[fortuītus]]

+ * [[fortūna]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}