Etymologically
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apex

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈa.pɛks][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈaː.peks][1]

Forms

apex m (genitive apicis); third declension[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[2][3] De Vaan, after Ernout and Meillet, says it cannot be known whether “top of a priest's cap” or “point” is the older sense; if the first, a link with apiō (“to fasten”) is plausible, and the OLD also compares that verb with a “perhaps”.[3][2] He adds that many nouns in ⟨-ex, -icis⟩ are technical terms without an Indo-European etymology, and that in theory it might come from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep(o) (“away”).[3] Servius and Paulus' Festus already derived it from a verb meaning to join, as in aptus.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Lucilius,[3] who has it in a list of sacred objects with the ancīlia.[2]

Semantic evolution

Servius describes the apex as the small rod on top of the flamen's cap, wound with wool,[4] and it came to mean the conical cap itself: the epitaph of a Scipio speaks of him wearing the apex, the badge of the flamen of Jupiter, Livy names the apex diālis, and Valerius Maximus has one slipping from a priest's head.[4] It was also a crown or sign of kingship: Cicero mentions the story of an eagle placing it on Tarquin's head, and Horace has the crowns of kings.[2][4] Virgil uses it of the top of a helmet, a mountain peak, the top of a laurel and a tongue of flame on Iulus' head,[2] and it is used of a bird's crest, a spear point and the tips of a rose's stamens.[2][4] Quintilian applies it to the mark over a long vowel,[2] and Ulpian speaks of the fine points of law.[2] It also meant the highest honour or the crown of something.[5][1] In Medieval Latin the plural apicēs is a letter, especially one from a great person, an imperial rescript or a royal charter, and a written character.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius, of a priest's cap.[2][3][7]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero, of Tarquin's crown.[2][7]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil, of a helmet top, a peak and a flame.[2][7]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian, of the mark of a long vowel.[2][7]
  • c. 1600 – English apex, the tip or summit.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The rod on top of a flamen's cap; the conical cap of a priest; the priesthood.[2][4][1]
  2. A diadem, crown; honour, glory.[2][4]
  3. The top of a helmet; a bird's crest; the top of the head.[2][4]
  4. The point or summit of anything: a mountain peak, the top of a tree or building, a spear point.[2][4][1]
  5. A point of flame.[2]
  6. A mark over a vowel showing that it is long;[2][1] (plural) fine points, minutiae.[2][1]
  7. The highest point, crown (of a thing); highest rank.[5][1]
  8. (Medieval Latin, plural) A letter, an imperial rescript, a royal charter; a written character.[6]

Word family

  • apicātus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  8. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com