SHAKSPEARE'S WORD "DELIGHTED."
That the Shakspearian word delighted might, as far as its form goes, mean "endowed with delight," "full of delight," I should readily concede; but this meaning would suit neither the passage in Measure for Measure,—"the delighted spirit,"—nor (satisfactorily) that in Othello,—"delighted beauty." Whether, therefore, delighted be derived from the Latin delectus or not, I still believe that it means "refined," "dainty," "delicate;" a sense which is curiously adapted to each of the three places. This will not be questioned with respect to the second and third passages cited by MR. HICKSON: and the following citations will, I think, prove the point as effectually for the passage of Measure for Measure:
1. "Fine apparition".—Tempest, Act i. sc. 2.
2. "Spirit, fine spirit."—Ditto.
3. "Delicate Ariel."—Ditto.
4. "And, for thou wast a spirit too delicate,
To act her earthy and abhorred commands."
Ditto.
5. "Fine Ariel."—Ditto.
6. "My delicate Ariel."—Ditto. Act iv. sc. 1.
7. "Why that's my dainty Ariel."—Ditto. Act v.
sc. 1.
I do not know the precise nature of the "old authorities" which MR. SINGER opposes to my conjecture: but may we not demur to the conclusiveness of any "old authorities" on such a point? Etymology seems to be one of the developing sciences, in which we know more, and better, than our forefathers, as our descendants will know more, and better, than we do.
To end with a brace of queries. Are not delicioe, delicatus, more probably from deligere than from delicere? And whence comes the word dainty? I cannot believe in the derivation from dens, "a tooth."
B.H. KENNEDY.