atomus

Forms

atomus f (genitive atomī); second declension; also atomos^[2][3] · adjective atomus (feminine atoma, neuter atomum)^[2][1] Lucilius has the accusative plural atomūs.^[2][4] A neuter atomum “moment” appears in Tertullian;^[5][6] medieval texts also treat the noun as masculine and spell it athomus.^[7][8]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἄτομος (átomos, “uncut, indivisible”),^[2][3][1] from ἀ- (a-, “not”) and τέμνω (témnō, “to cut”),^[9][8] which Etymonline traces to Proto-Indo-European *tem- (“to cut”).^[9] Albert the Great already explained it this way, as the Greek for “indivisible”.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first trace is the accusative plural atomūs in Lucilius (c. 180–102 BC);^[2][8] Cicero (81–43 BC) uses the noun in the De finibus and the Tusculan Disputations.^[2][6][8]

Semantic evolution

The noun is far more frequent than the adjective.^[3] It was the atom of Democritus and Epicurus, which Vitruvius says Latin writers rendered as “uncuttable bodies” or individua;^[10] Lactantius explains, after Leucippus, that the first particles are so small that no blade can cut them.^[10] Pliny the Elder uses the adjective of frankincense in drops.^[3][4] A neuter atomum meant an instant: Tertullian has in atomō “in a moment”,^[5][6] and Jerome uses it of time;^[4] Italian attimo “instant” comes from this use.^[10]

Medieval Latin used it also for a mote in a sunbeam, a midge, a trifle,^[7][11] and, beginning with Bede, for the smallest division of time.^[8][9] English took it in the late 15th century as atom.^[9]

Timeline

• c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses the plural atomūs.^[2][8]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses the noun in his philosophical works.^[2][6][8]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses the adjective of frankincense.^[3][8]
• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian has in atomō “in an instant”.^[5][6][8]
• first third of the 8th century AD – Bede uses it for the smallest unit of time.^[8]
• late 15th century – Borrowed into English as atom.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. (philosophy) An atom, a particle of matter that cannot be divided further.^[2][3][1]
2. (Late Latin) An instant, moment.^[5][6][4][1]
3. (Medieval Latin) The smallest division of time.^[8][9]
4. (Medieval Latin) A mote, speck; a midge; a trifle.^[7][11]

Adjective

1. That cannot be cut, indivisible.^[2][3][1]

Word family

• atomicus

Related words

• individuus
• English atom

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ a b c d e f Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b c d Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
9. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
11. ^ 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