aequaevus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ae̯ˈkʷae̯.wʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [eˈkʷɛː.vus]^[1]

Forms

aequaevus (feminine aequaeva, neuter aequaevum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is a compound of aequus “equal” and aevum “age”, with the suffix ⟨-us⟩.^[2][3][1] De Vaan finds no convincing etymology for ⟨aequus⟩, probably from ⟨*aikwos⟩.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest source is Virgil's Aeneid, aequaevus amīcus.^[5][3][6] Köbler dates Virgil 70–19 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant of the same age, equal in age, coeval, as in Virgil and Pliny, and belonging to the same age, contemporary, as in Apuleius, and Lewis & Short call it poetic, especially frequent in Claudian.^[2][3][6]

British Medieval Latin used it for of like age, glossed by Ælfric with Old English efneald.^[7]

Timeline

• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it.^[3][5]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny uses it.^[6][5]
• c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses it of contemporaries.^[2][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of the same age, coeval.^[2]
2. Contemporary.^[2]

Related words

• aequus
• aevum
• coaevus
• longaevus

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ 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