Etymologically
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civilis

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 15 October 2026 at 19:56. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kiːˈwiː.lɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [t͡ʃiˈviː.lis][1]

Forms

cīvīlis (neuter cīvīle, comparative cīvīlior, superlative cīvīlissimus, adverb cīvīliter); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin cīvis (“citizen”) + -ilis.[2][1] De Vaan, following Vine, suggests that cīvis was first an abstract noun “society”, which would explain why civilis means “of the civic order” rather than “of a citizen”.[3] Civis is inherited from Proto-Italic *keiwi-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ḱei-uo- (“socially close”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from 118 BC,[4] and de Vaan finds it in literature from Lucretius onwards, who writes of fortunes amassed by citizens' blood.[3][5]

Semantic evolution

It meant concerning citizens or one's fellow citizens, and of war and strife, civil, as Cicero's bellum civile.[2][6] Ius civile was the law of Roman citizens, the civil law, as opposed to the law of the praetors and to natural law.[2]

It meant political, of the state, so that vir civilis was a statesman, and befitting a citizen.[2] Of an emperor or great man it meant unassuming, courteous, as Ovid's “what is more courteous than the father of his country?”.[2][1] In Medieval Latin it meant secular or urban.[4] English civil came from it through Old French in the late 14th century.[7]

Timeline

  • 118 BC – An inscription uses it.[4]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius speaks of citizens' blood.[3][5][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses bellum civile.[6][4]
  • 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of Augustus' modesty.[2][4]
  • late 14th century – English civil is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of citizens, civic.[2][1]
  2. (of war, strife) Civil, between citizens.[2][1]
  3. ius civile: civil law.[2]
  4. Legal, determined by law.[2]
  5. Political, public, vir civilis: a statesman.[2][1]
  6. Befitting a citizen.[2]
  7. Unassuming, courteous, affable.[2][1]
  8. (Medieval Latin) Secular; urban.[4]

Word family

  • cīvīle
  • cīvilista
  • cīvīlitās
  • cīvīliter

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 f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d e f g 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. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com