catholicus

Forms

catholicus (feminine catholica, neuter catholicum, comparative catholicior, superlative catholicissimus); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek καθολικός (katholikós, “general, universal”),^[1][2][3][4] from καθόλου (kathólou, “on the whole, in general”), a phrase made of κατά (katá, “according to”) and ὅλος (hólos, “whole”).^[1][4][5] Quintilian still treats the Greek word as foreign, rendering it with ūniversālis and perpetuālis.^[2][3] Isidore of Seville explains it as “universal or general”.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Pliny the Elder has the neuter plural as a noun, catholica, “general rules, universals” (of stars and lightning).^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

In grammarians and medical writers it means “general, universal”, and Tertullian speaks of God's catholica et summa bonitās, his universal and highest goodness.^[6][2][3] The Church writers use it of the Church as universal and so of what agrees with its doctrine, “orthodox”, as opposed to heretics;^[3][6][7] as a noun it named an orthodox Christian, from Hilary of Poitiers onwards.^[4] The superlative catholicissimus “most orthodox” appears in Augustine.^[6] In Medieval Latin it describes the Church, the faith, rules and persons, and as a noun catholica the Church itself.^[8][7][9]

Timeline

• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses the neuter plural for general rules.^[3][4]
• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian speaks of God's universal goodness.^[6][2][4]
• c. 315–367/368 AD – Hilary of Poitiers uses it as a noun, “orthodox believer”.^[4]
• 354–430 AD – Augustine has the superlative catholicissimus.^[6][4]
• c. 680 AD – Aldhelm writes of the catholica ecclēsia.^[8]
• mid-14th century – Borrowed into English, through French, as catholic.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. universal, general, relating to all;^[2][3][6] (neuter plural as noun) general rules.^[2][3][6]
2. (Ecclesiastical Latin) catholic, of the universal Church; orthodox, agreeing with its doctrine.^[10][7][3]
3. (Ecclesiastical Latin, as noun) An orthodox Christian;^[4][8] (feminine) the Catholic Church.^[4][8]

Word family

• catholicum
• incatholicus

Related words

• ūniversālis
• English catholic

Usage notes

In verse the first syllable is long in Damasus, Prudentius and Sidonius Apollinaris.^[6] Inscriptions also spell it catolicus.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
7. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b c d 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
9. ^ Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
10. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson