Etymologically
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brevis

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈbrɛ.wɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈbrɛː.vis][1]

Forms

brevis (neuter breve, comparative brevior, superlative brevissimus, adverb breviter); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *mreχ-u(-i-), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *mrǵʰ-ú- (“short”).[2] The PIE u-stem adjective was extended with *-i- in prehistoric Latin, as in dulcis, gravis and tenuis, and took the e-grade, perhaps from the comparative and superlative, giving *mreǵʰu-i- and then *breghwi-.[2] The old superlative survives as brūma “the shortest day, winter solstice”, which de Vaan derives from *mreǵʰ-is-mHo-.[2] Cognate with Sanskrit मुहु (múhu, “suddenly”), Ancient Greek βραχύς (brakhús, “short”), Old High German murg (“short”) and Old English myrġe (“briefly”), the source of English merry.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus,[2] who uses it of a short time: “brief is the space for bearing what you threaten me with”.[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It was used of short length in space, of things close together, of small amounts, of short journeys and, above all, of brief periods of time.[3] It also meant low or shallow, and in metre it described a short syllable.[1][5] Döderlein distinguishes brevis, short by nature, from curtus, shortened.[6] Varro already connected brūma with it, because the shortest day falls then.[3]

As a noun, breve or brevis became a short list or summary in Late Latin,[7] and in medieval Latin a summary, a catalogue, a short note and a charter.[8] From it come Italian breve and French bref, and through Old French the English brief and English breve.[1][9]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a brief span of time.[3][4]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro explains brūma as the time when the day is shortest.[3][4]
  • Late Latin – breve is used for a short list or summary.[7]
  • c. 1300 – English bref, “of short duration”, is recorded, breve is used for a letter of authority.[9]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. short in length; small in extent.[3]
  2. (of things in a series) Close together.[3]
  3. (of amounts) Small, little.[3]
  4. (of journeys) Short, quick.[3]
  5. (of time) brief, of short duration.[3]
  6. (of height or depth) Low, shallow.[1][5]
  7. (metre) Short (of a syllable).[1]

Noun

  1. (Late Latin) A short list, summary.[1][7]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A catalogue; a short note; a charter.[8]

Word family

  • breviloquēns
  • breviloquium
  • breviloquus
  • breviō
  • brevitās
  • breviter
  • brūma
  • perbrevis
  • breviārium
  • breviārius
  • breviātiō
  • breviātor
  • English brief
  • English abbreviate
  • English merry

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  7. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com