delectare

Delectare is a Latin verb meaning to please, delight, or charm. It belongs to the first conjugation, with the infinitive delectare and standard present tense forms such as delecto, delectas, delectat, delectamus, delectatis, delectant. Its imperfect is delectabam, delectabas, delectabat, and its perfect is delectavi, with the supine form delectatum. The passive participle is delectatus, giving rise to related phrases and subordinate forms.

Etymology and related forms: delectare derives from the verb stem delect-, combined with the -are infinitive ending. The activity or result of pleasing is expressed by the associated noun delectatio, meaning delight or pleasure, and by the adjective delectabilis, meaning delightful. The English word delectable ultimately traces back to this Latin root through later Romance and English development.

Usage and sense: in classical Latin, delectare expresses the act of giving pleasure or delight, applied to things such as poetry, meals, events, or beauty. The thing that pleases can be the subject of the sentence, while the person who is pleased is often expressed in a dative or as the indirect target of the verb, depending on construction. The verb also yields a family of phrases and derivations used in moral, literary, and rhetorical contexts to convey charm, attractiveness, or enjoyment.

Modern and historical context: delectare appears predominantly in Latin prose and poetry from antiquity through late antiquity and medieval Latin. It is rarely used in modern languages outside scholarly or liturgical Latin. Its derivatives, such as delectatio and delectabilis, survive in scholarly and literary usage, and the English term delectable is ultimately derived from this lineage.