Romanicus

Forms

Rōmānicus (feminine Rōmānica, neuter Rōmānicum); first/second-declension adjective^[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin Rōmānus (“Roman”) + -icus.^[1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first author is Cato,^[2][3] with the sense of something of the Roman type or pattern.^[1]

Semantic evolution

In Medieval Latin it could simply mean Roman: some manuscripts of the Historia Brittonum speak of the leaders of the Rōmānica gēns in Britain, where others read Rōmāna.^[4] It also came to mean Romance, of the languages that grew out of Latin,^[2] and as a noun the Romance language: an English record of 1237 mentions the clasps of the king's great book “of Romance”, that is, in French.^[4]

English Romanic, recorded from 1708 and usually said of the languages descended from Latin, is from this word.^[5]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of things of the Roman type.^[1][2][3]
• 1237 – An English record uses it as a noun for the French language.^[4]
• 1708 – English Romanic is first recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of the Roman type or pattern; made in Rome.^[1][2]
2. (Medieval Latin) Roman.^[4]
3. (Medieval and New Latin) Romance.^[2]

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A Romance language, especially French.^[4]

Related words

• English Romanic

References

1. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
3. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com