antiquus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [anˈtiː.kʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [anˈtiː.kʷus]^[1]

Forms

antīquus (feminine antīqua, neuter antīquum, comparative antīquior, superlative antīquissimus); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is a derivative of ante “before”, and reflects inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enti-h₃kʷ-o- (“facing the front”), from the root of ante and the root for “eye” seen in oculus.^[2][1][3] An older spelling was antīcus.^[4][2]

Compare Sanskrit अन्तिक (antiká, “near”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards.^[2] In Plautus Jupiter tells Amphitryon to return to his old good terms with Alcmena, and a character speaks of “an old poet”.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Its rare first sense was lying in front, as in Cicero's Timaeus.^[4] Usually it meant existing at an early date, ancient, and former, of persons who lived long ago, things of ancient origin, and long genealogies.^[4] In poetry it meant aged, as Virgil's ancient oak, and of friends of long standing.^[4]

It also meant having the virtues of old times, as Ennius' “the Roman state stands on the old ways and on its men”.^[4] The comparative meant preferable or more important, as Cicero's “nothing more important than life”, and higher in rank.^[4][5] Lewis & Short and Georges separate antīquus, before in time, from antīcus, before in space.^[6][7] English antique came from it through French in the 1530s, and antic through Italian.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of former good relations and of old poets.^[4][9]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius praises the old Roman ways.^[4][9]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses the comparative in the sense “more important”.^[5][9]
• 1520s – English antic comes from it through Italian.^[8]
• 1530s – English antique is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Lying in front.^[4]
2. Ancient, old, early.^[4][1]
3. Former, previous.^[4][1]
4. Of former times; of ancient origin.^[4][1]
5. (poetic) Aged.^[4][1]
6. Of long standing.^[4]
7. Old-fashioned in the good sense, classical.^[4][1]
8. (comparative) Preferable, more important.^[4][1]
9. (comparative) Higher in rank, senior.^[4]

Word family

• antīquārius
• antiqui
• antīquitās
• antīquō
• antiquum
• perantīquus

Related words

• ante
• antīquē
• antīquitus
• English antique
• English antic

Usage notes

Döderlein separates antiquus and priscus, what existed once and is no more, from vetus, what has existed for a long time.^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
8. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
10. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper