Erminia writes:
"
Note on stupidity: etymologically (being Italian it comes easy to me, the
etymology of words: I am not trying to intellectualise the matter), it
comes from the Latin stupor (the being amazed). So to be stupefied, it is
to be subjected to the effects of something amazing which causes stupor.
"
Alas, Erminia, there are two problems here. One is the Etymological Fallacy
(surely exploded since de Saussure was published early in the century) that
the current meaning of words can be explained by an appeal to their semantic
origins.
But that aside, the etymology you propose is a little dubious.
[With the usual reservations about first citation not necessarily being
first use, etc. ...]
Both "stupid" and "stupidity" first appear in English in the same work, a
translation by the poet Robert Copland (fl. 1508-1547) of _The questyonary
of cyrurgyens, with the fourth boke of the Terapentyke [sic] or methode
curatyfe of C. Galyen_ by Guido de Cauliaco. This is published in England
in 1541, and has the following:
"For the fyrste speake ouer lyghtly and to imprudently, ... and the other
are all togyther stupydes, sturdy, & lytygious."
(defined by the OED under STUPID as: "3. Wanting in or slow of mental
perception; lacking ordinary activity of mind; slow-witted, dull.")
... and
"Nowe we must esteme the stupydyte or audacyte of the man. I say the
stupidite yf he thynke to say well and the boldnes yf he fele hym selfe
culpable to saye nothynge."
(defined by the OED under STUPIDITY as: "4. Dullness or slowness of
apprehension; gross want of intelligence.")
Copland's translation of Guido's work on Galen would seem to be a one-off,
as the next appearance of "stupidity" isn't recorded till 1568. Even more
surprisingly, "stupid" doesn't reappear before 1605.
As there are a relative wealth of instances of "stupidity" recorded after
1568 and before 1605, it would appear that (counterintuitively) "stupidity"
was in fairly regular use +before+ "stupid".
The OED [if we accept its authority here] gives separate etymologies for
"stupid" and "stupidity":
STUPID: ad. L. stupid-us, f. stup-ere to be stunned or benumbed. Cf. F.
stupide (Rabelais), Sp., Pg. estúpido, It. stupido.
STUPIDITY: ad. L. stupiditas, f. stupid-us: see stupid and -ity. Cf. F.
stupidité, It. stupidità.
But enough of these modern inferences!! Much more fun is to be found
mousing around The Early Modern English Dictionary Database (
http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/english/emed/emedd.html ).
There are 25 examples recorded, so I'll only give a selection.
Cotgrave in 1611 defines both words:
Stupide: [Stupide, benummed, sencelesse; dull, blockish, lumpish;
amazed, appalled, astonied.]
Stupidité. [Stupiditie, sencelesnesse; dullnesse, blockishnesse;
astonishment, amazement.]
And (with a bow to Erminia) here's Florio in 1598:
Stupidità, stupiditie, astonishment, amazement, dullnes, or priuation
of the sences, sodaine priuation or lacke of sence or feeling, benumming,
astoniednes, dulnes or a trouble of the minde vpon a sodaine feare, not
perceiuing.
But enough of this stupidity ...
Robin
APPENDIX:
As Robert Copland's poems aren't that easy to find, perhaps a sample might
be of interest? Yes? No? Anyway ...
A complaynt of them that be to soone maryed
For as moche as many folke there be
That desyre the sacramente of weddynge
Other wyll kepe them in vyrgynye
And wyll in chastyte be lyuynge
Therfore I wyll put now in wrytynge
In what sorowe these men lede theyr lyues
That to soone be coupled to cursed wyues
Now am I in grete myschefe and sorowe
To soone I put my body in gage
I lyue in care/nyght/euen/and morowe
Lytell lacketh that I ne enrage
To be to soone maryed I layde my gage
Cursed be the tyme that I it euer knewe
The deuyll haue his parte of maryage
And of hym that me fyrste therto drewe
My herte ryght yll dyd me counsell
To a yonge woman me for to same
To soone wedde there they dyd me compell
Wherfore I holde my selfe in fame
By god I swere and by his name
I wyll all louers clene dyscourage
That wolde not wt there wyll take them a dame
And put them selfe in suche domage
Better it were to be a man sauage
Than to be take in that ylke lase
Gentell galauntes flee that passage
Besyde that waye loke that ye passe
Go out of that waye that wyll the chase
Go out of that waye or ye be loste
Go ye therfro/tourne ye your face
Go frome that waye to another coste
Go ye thense my frendes I you praye
Go ye therfro I you do praye
Go ye frome that hote flambe of fyre
Go ye therfro as I you saye
Or ye wyll repente an other daye
Go ye therfro full loude I crye
Go ye fro the bonde of welawaye
Whiche is the arke of all folye ...
