licet

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *likēt, from a root of the shape *leyk-, with no certain cognates outside of Italic.[1] Cognate with liceor, liceō, Oscan 𐌋𐌝𐌊𐌝𐌕𐌖𐌃 (líkítud, “it is permitted”); outside of Italic, compare perhaps Lithuanian reikė́ti (“to need”).[2]

Pronunciation

Verb

licet (present infinitive licēre, perfect active licuit or licitus est, supine licitum); second conjugation, third person-only, optionally semi-deponent

  1. (with dative) to be allowed; to be permitted
    Licetne pauca?
    May I speak a word with you?
    (literally, “Are a few [words] permitted?”)
    Quod licet Iovī, nōn licet bovī
    Gods may do what cattle may not
    (literally, “What is permissible for Jupiter is not permissible for an ox”)
    • 16 BCE, Ovid, The Loves 3.4:
      Cui peccare licet, peccat minus.
      To whom it is allowed to sin, sins less.
  2. (impersonal, with subjunctive or, post-classically, indicative) although, even if
    • Juvenal, Saturae 1.105:
      licet ipse negam
      even if I were to deny it

Conjugation

   Conjugation of licet (second conjugation, third person-only, optionally semi-deponent)
indicative singular plural
first second third first second third
active present — — licet — — licent
imperfect — — licēbat — — licēbant
future — — licēbit — — licēbunt
perfect — — licuit,
licitus est 		— — licuērunt,
licuēre,
licitī sunt
pluperfect — — licuerat,
licitus erat 		— — licuerant,
licitī erant
future perfect — — licuerit,
licitus erit 		— — licuerint,
licitī erint
sigmatic future1 — — licēssit — — licēssint
subjunctive singular plural
first second third first second third
active present — — liceat — — liceant
imperfect — — licēret — — licērent
perfect — — licuerit,
licitus sit 		— — licuerint,
licitī sint
pluperfect — — licuisset,
licitus esset 		— — licuissent,
licitī essent
sigmatic aorist1 — — licēssīt — — licēssint
imperative singular plural
first second third first second third
active future — — licētō — — licentō
non-finite forms infinitive participle
active passive active passive
present licēre — licēns —
future licitūrum esse — licitūrus licendum
perfect licuisse,
licitum esse 		— licitus —
future perfect licitum fore — — —
perfect potential licitūrum fuisse — — —
verbal nouns gerund supine
genitive dative accusative ablative accusative ablative
licendī licendō licendum licendō licitum licitū

1At least one use of the Old Latin "sigmatic future" and "sigmatic aorist" tenses is attested, which are used by Old Latin writers; most notably Plautus and Terence. The sigmatic future is generally ascribed a future or future perfect meaning, while the sigmatic aorist expresses a possible desire ("might want to").

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Franco-Provençal: lêsir
  • Old French: loisir, leisir, licence
  • Old Irish: liced, ced

References

  • “licet”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • “licet”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • licet in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
  • Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
    • this much I can vouch for: illud pro certo affirmare licet
    • allow me to say: pace tua dixerim or dicere liceat
    • I have no objection: per me licet
  • Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 669
  1. ^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “licet”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 340
  2. ^ “licet”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė [Lithuanian etymological dictionary database], 2007–2012
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