anniversarius

Pronunciation

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

Forms

anniversārius (feminine anniversāria, neuter anniversārium, adverb anniversāriē); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from annus “year” and vertō “to turn”, with the suffix -ārius: returning with the year.^[2][1][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Varro, of things renewed every year.^[2] Köbler's first source is Cicero.^[5] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant engaged or renewed annually, as in Varro, recurring every year, and of games, festivals and sacrifices celebrated annually, as Cicero's yearly rites.^[2][4][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant annual, pertaining to an anniversary.^[7] In Medieval Latin it meant for obits, and as a noun anniversārium a birthday, the anniversary of a death, a yearly mass for the dead.^[8][9] It survives in French anniversaire, Italian anniversario and Spanish aniversario.^[1] English anniversary came about 1200 from Medieval Latin anniversārium, first of the day of a death or a martyrdom.^[3]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of annual renewal.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of yearly rites.^[4][5]
• c. 1200 – English anniversary is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Renewed annually.^[2]
2. Recurring every year; annual.^[2]
3. (Medieval Latin, as noun) An anniversary; a yearly mass for the dead.^[8][9]

Related words

• annus
• vertō
• English anniversary

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ a b 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