ludicer

Latin

Alternative forms

lūdicrus

Etymology

From lūdō (“play”). In terms of form, the neuter noun lūdicrum (“toy, plaything, public show”) could be interpreted as lūdō +‎ -crum (instrument noun suffix);^[1] however, the adjective is attested earlier than the noun. Sen 2015 views this as compelling evidence that the noun was a later, secondary formation^[2] (by nominalization of the adjective), which is the generally accepted view; however, Moretti 2022 considers the chronology insufficient to rule out the possibility that the noun was formed first and gave rise to the adjective by reanalysis.^[3] In any case, the ending is probably ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *-tl-, a variant of the zero-grade of the agent suffix *-tḗr. Compare i-stem volucer, volucris and alacer, alacris.

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈluː.di.ker/, [ˈɫ̪uːd̪ɪkɛr]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈlu.di.t͡ʃer/, [ˈluːd̪it͡ʃer]

Adjective

lūdicer (feminine lūdicra, neuter lūdicrum); first/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er)

sportive
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:ludicer.

Usage notes

The word is not attested in the masculine nominative singular until the 17th century, and it is unclear whether that form would have been lūdicer or lūdicrus in Roman times (both are attested in New Latin). An alternative declension as a third-declension adjective is attested by Late Latin, but it is unclear how old this is: Ennius seems to use the form lūdĭcrĕ as an adverb ("pars ludicre saxa"), which looks like a third-declension neuter accusative singular form (compare facile).

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular			plural
nominative	lūdicer lūdicrus	lūdicra	lūdicrum	lūdicrī	lūdicrae	lūdicra
genitive	lūdicrī	lūdicrae	lūdicrī	lūdicrōrum	lūdicrārum	lūdicrōrum
dative	lūdicrō	lūdicrae	lūdicrō	lūdicrīs
accusative	lūdicrum	lūdicram	lūdicrum	lūdicrōs	lūdicrās	lūdicra
ablative	lūdicrō	lūdicrā	lūdicrō	lūdicrīs
vocative	lūdicre	lūdicra	lūdicrum	lūdicrī	lūdicrae	lūdicra

References

^ Weiss, Michael L. (2009) Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin‎^[1], Ann Arbor: Beech Stave Press, →ISBN, page 283
^ Ranjan Sen (2015) Syllable and Segment in Latin, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 103
^ Moretti, Paola Francesca (2022) “Ludicrum, a Word for “Toy, Plaything”. Some Remarks on its Origin and Use”, in Véronique Dasen & Marco Vespa, editors, Toys as Cultural Artefacts in Ancient Greece, Etruria, and Rome (Monographies Instrumentum; 75), →ISBN, →ISSN