adversarius

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ad.wɛrˈsaː.ri.ʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ad.verˈsaː.ri.us]^[1]

Forms

adversārius m (genitive adversāriī or adversārī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin adversus (“turned towards, opposite”) + -ārius.^[2][1] Adversus is the participle of advertō “to turn towards”.^[1] An inscription of about 123 BC has the spellings advorsārius and arvorsārius.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Ennius, in a tragic fragment, speaks of standing bravely against adversaries, and Plautus uses it in the same sense.^[2] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

As a noun it meant a personal opponent, an enemy in war, the opposing party in a lawsuit, and an opponent of a policy.^[2] Döderlein notes that it was the general word for any opponent, in war, politics or court, while hostis was the enemy in war.^[5] As an adjective it meant hostile or harmful.^[2] The neuter plural adversaria was a merchant's daybook, contrasted by Cicero with the permanent account books.^[6][7]

In Christian Latin adversarius became a name of the devil, the adversary of the human race, from Tertullian and Augustine on.^[3][8] English adversary came from Anglo-French and Old French or directly from Latin in the mid-14th century, at first especially of Satan.^[9]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of opponents.^[2][4]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a stronger adversary.^[2][4]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of the opposing party in a lawsuit.^[2][4]
• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it of the devil.^[3][4]
• mid-14th century – English adversary is recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Adjective

1. hostile, opposed.^[2][1]
2. (of things) Harmful, prejudicial; of the opposing party.^[2]

Noun

1. An opponent, antagonist.^[2][1]
2. An enemy in war.^[2][1]
3. (law) The opposing party.^[2]
4. An opponent of a cause or policy.^[2]
5. (Ecclesiastical Latin) The devil.^[3][8]

Related words

• English adversary

Usage notes

Adversaria (neuter plural) was a merchant's daybook of rough entries, as opposed to the tabulae or ledger.^[6][7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
8. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com