Etymologically
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census

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkẽː.sʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈt͡ʃɛn.sus][1]

Forms

cēnsus m (genitive cēnsūs); fourth declension[1]

Etymology

It is from cēnseō “to assess, rate” with the action suffix -tus.[2][1][3] Wiktionary reconstructs Proto-Italic *kenssos, remade from *kenstos, Proto-Indo-European *ḱn̥s-tós, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱens- (“to proclaim, assess”).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Plautus, and the OLD cites him for property, wealth.[4][2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant the five-yearly registration of Roman citizens and their property and their assignment to classes, the census, as in Varro and Livy, and the census roll, as in Cicero.[2][5] It meant the property qualification of a class, the members of a class, and property, wealth, one's fortune, as in Plautus, also of states, and figuratively of other things.[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant cost, tribute, rating.[7] In Medieval Latin it meant a tax, a traffic toll, a tribute imposed on peoples, and in England the Domesday assessment.[8][9] It survives in French cens “quitrent”, and Italian and Spanish censo are borrowings.[1] English census was borrowed in the 1610s with reference to Roman history.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of wealth.[2][4]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of the census.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the census roll and property classes.[2][4]
  • 1610s – English census is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The census, registration of citizens and property.[2]
  2. The census roll.[2]
  3. A property qualification; a property class.[2]
  4. Property, wealth.[2]
  5. (Medieval Latin) A tax, tribute.[8]

Word family

  • censuālis

Usage notes

Cēnsus is also the perfect participle of cēnseō.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 e 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. ^ 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. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  9. ^ 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