Etymologically
Log in

bancarius

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 23 October 2026 at 09:39. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Forms

bancārius m (genitive bancāriī); second declension[1] It is also spelled ⟨banchārius⟩, ⟨banchērius⟩ and ⟨banquērius⟩.[1][2][3]

Etymology

It is a derivative of Medieval Latin bancus (“bench; money-changer's table”), with -ārius.[1][4][5] Köbler refers it to ⟨banca⟩, a form of the same word.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first dated use is in an Italian charter of 1268, where a king has florins of gold paid and deposited with a banker or money changer.[3][1]

Semantic evolution

The man at the bench was first of all a money changer or banker:[3][4] in 1436 the Scottish exchequer paid a banker of Bruges for the king's business at the Roman curia,[4] and a Polish source of 1465 speaks of merchants or bankers of the Roman curia.[5] At the universities it named the treasurer.[2] In Polish towns of the 1490s it was also the keeper of a market stall,[5] and a Hungarian humanist used it jokingly of old students who wore out the school benches.[6] Köbler records a second word of the same form for a seat cushion.[1]

Timeline

  • 1268 – An Italian charter uses it of a banker or money changer.[3][1]
  • 1436 – The Scottish exchequer pays a banker of Bruges.[4]
  • 1494 – A Poznań town book uses it of stall keepers.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) A money changer, banker.[3][4][5][1]
  2. (Medieval Latin) The treasurer of a university.[2][1]
  3. (Medieval Latin) The keeper of a market stall.[5]
  4. (Medieval Latin, jocular) A student who has long sat on the school benches.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  2. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c d e 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
  5. ^ a b c d e f Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
  6. ^ a b Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE