Sericus

Forms

Sēricus (feminine Sērica, neuter Sēricum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek σηρικός (sērikós, “of the Seres, silken”).^[2][3] Wiktionary derives the Greek word from σήρ (sḗr, “silkworm”) with the suffix -ικός (-ikós), perhaps going back ultimately to the Old Chinese word for silk.^[3] Within Latin it corresponds to Sēres, the name of a people of eastern Asia famous for silk fabrics, with the suffix -icus.^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Horace is the first to use it: in the Odes of the arrows of the Seres, and in the Epodes of silk cushions among which Stoic booklets like to lie.^[1]

Semantic evolution

In the sense “of the Seres” it was also taken as “Chinese”.^[1][5] Because silk came from them, it mostly meant “made of silk”: Propertius uses the neuter plural for silk garments and fabrics,^[1] Seneca speaks of sēricae vestēs “silk clothes”,^[6] Jerome uses the neuter singular for silk itself,^[6] and Salvian, in an uncertain reading, the masculine plural for silk merchants.^[6][7]

In British Medieval Latin, fīlum sēricum was silk thread, and sēricum equīnum horse-hair.^[8] Italian serico continues it.^[6]

Timeline

• 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of the arrows of the Seres and of silk cushions.^[1][2]
• 57/46–12 BC – Propertius uses the neuter plural for silk garments.^[1][2]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca speaks of silk clothes.^[6][2]
• c. 383–419/420 AD – Jerome uses the neuter singular for silk.^[6][2]
• 435/439 AD – Salvian uses the masculine plural, in an uncertain reading, for silk merchants.^[6][7][2]
• 639–709 AD – Aldhelm writes of silken skeins, sērica pēnsa.^[8][2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of the Sēres; Chinese.^[1][5]
2. Made of silk, silken.^[1][7]
3. (neuter plural as noun) Silk garments or fabrics.^[1][9]
4. (neuter singular as noun) Silk.^[6]
5. (masculine plural as noun) Silk merchants.^[6][7]
6. (Medieval Latin) Of silk thread;^[8] sēricum equīnum, horse-hair.^[8]

Word family

• sēricārius
• sēricoblatta
• sēricum

Usage notes

Modern dictionaries also write it in lowercase, sēricus, in the sense “silken”.^[3][9]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
4. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T. (1890), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: American Book Company
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ a b c d 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
9. ^ a b Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier