alacer

Somewhat uncertain. The masculine nominative singular form is derived by syncope from alacris (attested in Ennius), which probably developed by dissimilation from earlier *alaklis,^[1][2] with the ending ultimately going back to -*tlis, from Proto-Indo-European *-tl-, a variant of the zero-grade of the agent suffix *-tḗr. Compare volucer, volucris. However, De Vaan regards the origin of the *-kris ending as uncertain.^[3] The *ala- portion is seemingly from a root of the form *h₂elH-.^[2][3][4] De Vaan and Schrijver consider ambulō (“to traverse, walk”) a potential but not certain cognate, and reconstruct the common root (if the relationship is valid) as Proto-Indo-European *h₂elh₂- (“to wander, roam”), cognate with Ancient Greek ἀλάομαι (aláomai, “roam”).^[3][4] The same root may alternatively be reconstructed as Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-. Another possible cognate is Ancient Greek ἐλαύνω (elaúnō, “to drive”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁elh₂- (“to drive”). Another theory connects the word to Proto-Germanic *aljaną (“vigor, strength”), whence English ellen.

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈa.la.ker/, [ˈäɫ̪äkɛr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈa.la.t͡ʃer/, [ˈäːlät͡ʃer]

alacer (feminine alacris, neuter alacre, comparative alacrior); third-declension three-termination adjective

1. lively, brisk, quick, eager, active, peppy, excited

   Synonyms: strēnuus, impiger, vīvus, ācer, fortis

   Antonym: sēgnis

2. glad, happy, cheerful

   Synonyms: libēns, laetus, vīvus, felix, hilaris, hilarus

   Antonyms: trīstis, infelix, maestus, miser, aeger

The superlative form alacerrimus is very rare in old and classical Latin.

Third-declension three-termination adjective.

• alacritās
• alacriter

• “alacer”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “alacer”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• alacer in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[2], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to show a brisk and cheerful spirit: alacri et erecto animo esse