bellicus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈbɛl.lɪ.kʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈbɛl.li.kus]^[1]

Forms

bellicus (feminine bellica, neuter bellicum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from bellum “war”, Old Latin ⟨duellum⟩, with the suffix -icus.^[2][1][3] The old form ⟨duellicus⟩ occurs in Plautus and Lucretius.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Plautus, who speaks of the art of war.^[2][4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant of war, military, as Plautus' ars duellica and Cicero's bellica virtūs “military merit” and rēs bellicae “warfare”, and warlike, as in Propertius.^[2][6][4] Bellicum canere meant to sound the signal for attack, and figuratively to begin hostilities, as in Cicero.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin vāsa bellica were arms.^[7] In Medieval Latin it meant warlike.^[8] It survives in Italian bellico and Spanish bélico.^[1] English bellicose comes from its derivative bellicōsus in the early 15th century.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses ars duellica.^[4][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses bellica virtūs.^[6][5]
• 57/46–12 BC – Propertius uses it of warlike things.^[2][5]
• early 15th century – English bellicose is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of war, military.^[2]
2. Warlike.^[2]
3. bellicum canere, to sound the attack; to begin hostilities.^[2]

Word family

• bellicum
• bellicōsus

Related words

• bellātor
• bellātōrius
• bellātrīx
• bellātulus
• bellāx
• bellifer
• belliger
• belligerātor
• belligerō
• bellipotēns
• bellum
• English bellicose

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ 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