astronomicus

Forms

astronomicus (feminine astronomica, neuter astronomicum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀστρονομικός (astronomikós, “astronomical”),^[1][2] an adjective from the Greek word for astronomy, whose parts are ἄστρον (ástron, “star”) and νόμος (nómos, “custom, law”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short and Georges give the neuter plural Astronomica as the title of Manilius' poem and of a treatise by Hyginus.^[3][4] As a common adjective it is first found in Calcidius (c. 300 AD), who speaks of astronomical remedies for the questions he treats.^[5][4][2]

Semantic evolution

In Late Latin it qualified the disciplines and reasoning of astronomy, in Boethius and Cassiodorus.^[5][4] Medieval Latin used it for both astronomical and astrological matters, and as a noun for an astronomer, for astronomy, and for a book on astronomy.^[6][7]

Timeline

• c. 300 AD – Calcidius uses it in his commentary on the Timaeus.^[5][4][2]
• c. 485–c. 580 AD – Cassiodorus writes of astronomical rules and matters.^[5][2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Astronomical, of astronomy.^[3][4]
2. (Medieval Latin) Astrological.^[6][7]

Noun

1. (neuter plural) Astronomica, title of works on astronomy (Manilius, Hyginus).^[3][4]
2. (Medieval Latin) An astronomer or astrologer.^[6][7]
3. (Medieval Latin, feminine) Astronomy.^[6][7]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d e f Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ a b c d Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
6. ^ a b c d Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
7. ^ a b c d 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