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cacoëthes or cacoethes (kak-oh-EE-theez) - n., an irresistible urge to do something inadvisable.
For Juvenal, it was writing -- "tenet insanabile multos scribendi cacoethes" (the incurable disease of writing takes hold of many). For Putin, it's invading other countries. Interestingly, the plural form is cacoëthe, without the -s. This is because it was taken (around 1560 via Latin) from Ancient Greek kakóēthes, malignancy/wickedness, noun derivative from neuter of kakoḗthēs, ill-disposed/malicious/of bad character, from kakós, bad + êthos, disposition/nature.
Cacoëthes indeed.
---L.
For Juvenal, it was writing -- "tenet insanabile multos scribendi cacoethes" (the incurable disease of writing takes hold of many). For Putin, it's invading other countries. Interestingly, the plural form is cacoëthe, without the -s. This is because it was taken (around 1560 via Latin) from Ancient Greek kakóēthes, malignancy/wickedness, noun derivative from neuter of kakoḗthēs, ill-disposed/malicious/of bad character, from kakós, bad + êthos, disposition/nature.
Cacoëthes indeed.
---L.
