Etymologically
Log in

auspicatus

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 20 October 2026 at 20:19. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [au̯s.pɪˈkaː.tʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [au̯s.piˈkaː.tus][1]

Forms

auspicātus (feminine auspicāta, neuter auspicātum, comparative auspicātior, adverb auspicātō); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin auspicor (“to take the auspices”), its participle used as an adjective.[2][1][3] De Vaan lists ⟨auspicārī⟩ with auspex (“augur”) among the derivatives of avis (“bird”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first example is Varro's die auspicato, a day approved by the auspices,[2][5] though Köbler dates it from Catullus.[6]

Semantic evolution

It first meant approved by augury, hallowed: Cicero has a place consecrated by the auspices, Livy assemblies held after the auspices were taken, and Seneca a marriage bed.[2][7][8] From this it came to mean auspicious, fortunate or lucky:[2][9] Catullus asks who ever saw a more auspicious love, Venerem auspicatiorem,[2][5] Horace has attacks that were not auspicious, and Pliny the Elder uses the comparative of a tree.[2][7] Quintilian says that among Roman writers Virgil would make the most auspicious beginning,[2][3] and Pliny the Younger calls something the happiest of omens.[8]

Ecclesiastical Latin kept the sense auspicious or happy.[10]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses die auspicato, of a hallowed day.[2][6]
  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses the comparative of a happy love.[2][6]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of attacks that were not auspicious.[2][6]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses the superlative of a beginning.[2][6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Approved by augury, hallowed, consecrated.[2][8]
  2. Auspicious, fortunate, lucky.[2][9][10]

Word family

Usage notes

A separate fourth-declension noun auspicātus, -ūs, the taking of auspices, occurs in Pliny the Elder.[9] Auspicatus is also found as a Roman cognomen in inscriptions.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  6. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  8. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  9. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  10. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  11. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften