alacer

Latin

Etymology

Somewhat uncertain. The masculine nominative singular form is derived by syncope from alacris (attested in Ennius), which probably developed by dissimilation from earlier *alaklis,^[1]^[2] with the ending ultimately going back to -*tlis, from Proto-Indo-European *-tl-, a variant of the zero-grade of the agent suffix *-tḗr. Compare volucer, volucris. However, De Vaan regards the origin of the *-kris ending as uncertain.^[3] The *ala- portion is seemingly from a root of the form *h₂elH-.^[2]^[3]^[4] De Vaan and Schrijver consider ambulō (“to traverse, walk”) a potential but not certain cognate, and reconstruct the common root (if the relationship is valid) as Proto-Indo-European *h₂elh₂- (“to wander, roam”), cognate with Ancient Greek ἀλάομαι (aláomai, “roam”).^[3]^[4] The same root may alternatively be reconstructed as Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-. Another possible cognate is Ancient Greek ἐλαύνω (elaúnō, “to drive”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁elh₂- (“to drive”). Another theory connects the word to Proto-Germanic *aljaną (“vigor, strength”), whence English ellen.

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈa.la.ker/, [ˈäɫ̪äkɛr]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈa.la.t͡ʃer/, [ˈäːlät͡ʃer]

Adjective

alacer (feminine alacris, neuter alacre, comparative alacrior); third-declension three-termination adjective

lively, brisk, quick, eager, active, peppy, excited
Synonyms: strēnuus, impiger, vīvus, ācer, fortis

Antonym: sēgnis
glad, happy, cheerful
Synonyms: libēns, laetus, vīvus, felix, hilaris, hilarus

Antonyms: trīstis, infelix, maestus, miser, aeger

Usage notes

The superlative form alacerrimus is very rare in old and classical Latin.

Declension

Third-declension three-termination adjective.

	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	neuter
	singular			plural
nominative	alacer	alacris	alacre	alacrēs	alacria
genitive	alacris			alacrium
dative	alacrī			alacribus
accusative	alacrem		alacre	alacrēs	alacria
ablative	alacrī			alacribus
vocative	alacer	alacris	alacre	alacrēs	alacria

Derived terms

Descendants

Gallo-Italic
- Ligurian: alêgro
- Lombard: allégher, alégher
- Piedmontese: alégher
Italo-Dalmatian
- Corsican: alegru, allegru
  Gallurese: allegru
- Dalmatian: alegr, aleger (Vegliot)
- Italian: alacre
- Sassarese: allegru
Old French: halaigre
- French: allègre
  - → Italian: allegro (see there for further descendants)
  - → Romanian: alegru
- Norman: allègre
Old Occitan:
- Catalan: alegre
- Occitan: alègre
Rhaeto-Romance
- Friulian: legri
- Romansch: alleger
Sardinian: allegru
Campidanese: allirgu

Logudorese: allegru
Venetan: aliegro, ałégro, ałłégro
West Iberian
- Aragonese: alegre
- Extremaduran: alegri
- Old Leonese:
  - Asturian: allegre
  - Leonese: allegre
- → Old Galician-Portuguese: alegre
  - Galician: alegre
  - Portuguese: alegre
- Old Spanish:
  - Ladino: alegre
  - Spanish: alegre
→ Basque: alaikiro
→ Portuguese: álacre

References

^ Ranjan Sen (2015) Syllable and Segment in Latin, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 107
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Weiss, Michael L. (2009) Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin‎^[1], Ann Arbor: Beech Stave Press, →ISBN, page 318
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “alacer”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 32
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Schrijver, Peter C. H. (1991) The reflexes of the Proto-Indo-European laryngeals in Latin (Leiden studies in Indo-European; 2), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, →ISBN, page 40