In ancient times, a native of the region of Laconia was mentioned as laconic.
Laconic is an adjective - also mentioned as laconian - that refers to someone who is a native of Laconia , a nation of ancient Greece . The most important city in this region, which today is a Greek peripheral unit, was Sparta .
Establishing the etymological origin of the laconic term leads us to orient ourselves, in this way, to the Greek language. And it comes from lakonikos , which was the name used to refer to anyone who was a native of the aforementioned region.
The laconic as well as the brief
Today the notion of laconic is linked to something concise, brief or compendious . Someone who is laconic, therefore, writes or speaks that way.
It is said that Spartan educators required students to speak little. Another anecdote indicates that, when besiegers from the region sent a messenger to warn the inhabitants that, if their side won the war , they would be slaves forever, the commander of Laconia barely answered: “If they win…”
Since then, laconic has been associated with concise expression that includes the right words . Laconicism (laconic quality) appears in various areas, whether for functional reasons (such as among the military) or philosophical (minimalism).
Someone who is laconic expresses himself with few words.
An example
In order to better understand this last meaning of laconic, we can take the example of two soccer coaches whose teams are about to face each other in a match.
They are both asked what their team must do to beat the rival. One of the coaches states: “The key is to control the middle of the field to prevent their playmakers from moving freely: if we recover the ball in that area, we have options to attack from the sides with our full-backs or to kick from medium distance.” The other coach, laconically, responds: “To win, we have to score at least one more goal than the rival.”
Laconic writers and actors
Precisely, taking this brevity and concision in language as a starting point, we would have to emphasize that there are many writers who have become perfect examples of what it means to be a laconic author.
There are many pen names from all times and places that are considered references of this type of writing. However, among the most significant are those of the American Ernest Hemingway , known for works such as “A Farewell to Arms” ( 1918 ) or “For Whom the Bell Tolls” ( 1940 ), and the Argentine Antonio Di Benedetto , who made such important novels as “Sombras, nada más” ( 1985 ) and “El silenciero” ( 1964 ).
Another Argentine writer of great international value is also considered by many to be a laconic author. We are referring to Jorge Luis Borges , a fundamental cultural figure of the 20th century , who created such significant works as “Historia universal de la infamía” ( 1936 ) or “La memoria de Shakespeare” ( 1983 ).
Likewise, within the world of cinema and acting, in general, it is considered that there are actors who are symbols of laconic professionals. This would be the case, for example, of Gary Cooper , a regular figure in westerns such as, for example, in the Oscar-winning “On the Go” ( 1952 ).