curiosus

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Latin

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Etymology

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Back-formation from incūriōsus (careless, negligent) by deletion of the negative prefix in- (un-) in order to remain with the opposite meaning.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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cūriōsus (feminine cūriōsa, neuter cūriōsum, comparative cūriōsior); first/second-declension adjective

  1. Careful, diligent, thoughtful, devoted.
  2. Elaborate, complicated.
  3. That injures himself by care; careworn, emaciated, wasted, lean.
  4. (in a good sense) Curious, inquisitive.
  5. (in a bad sense) Meddlesome, officious, prying, interfering, curious, inquisitive.
    • 1st c. BC, Marcus Tullius Cicero, De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum :
      Etenim si delectamur cum scribimus, quis est tam invidus qui ab eo nos abducat? [...] Sic isti curiosi, quos offendit noster minime nobis iniucundus labor.
      Indeed if I enjoy writing, who would be so spiteful as to keep me from it? [...] Thus are these meddlesome individuals to whom this my not at all unpleasant (to me) endeavor is offensive.

Declension

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First/second-declension adjective.

Number Singular Plural
Case / Gender Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative cūriōsus cūriōsa cūriōsum cūriōsī cūriōsae cūriōsa
Genitive cūriōsī cūriōsae cūriōsī cūriōsōrum cūriōsārum cūriōsōrum
Dative cūriōsō cūriōsō cūriōsīs
Accusative cūriōsum cūriōsam cūriōsum cūriōsōs cūriōsās cūriōsa
Ablative cūriōsō cūriōsā cūriōsō cūriōsīs
Vocative cūriōse cūriōsa cūriōsum cūriōsī cūriōsae cūriōsa

Derived terms

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Descendants

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Noun

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cūriōsus m (genitive cūriōsī); second declension

  1. One who pries; a spy or scout; secret police, informer.

Declension

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Second-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative cūriōsus cūriōsī
Genitive cūriōsī cūriōsōrum
Dative cūriōsō cūriōsīs
Accusative cūriōsum cūriōsōs
Ablative cūriōsō cūriōsīs
Vocative cūriōse cūriōsī

References

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