comparabilis
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Pronunciation
Forms
comparābilis (neuter comparābile); third-declension two-termination adjective[1] It is also spelled conparābilis.[2]
Etymology
It is from comparō “to match, compare” with the suffix -bilis, from pār “equal”.[2][1][3]
Earliest recorded meaning
Köbler's first source is Cicero, whom he dates 81–43 BC, and Lewis & Short cite his De inventione.[4][5]
Semantic evolution
It meant similar, comparable, that may be compared, as in Cicero and Livy.[2][6] Lewis & Short call it very rare.[5]
British Medieval Latin used it for subject to comparison and comparable, similar.[7] It survives in Italian comparabile and French comparable, and gave English comparable in the early 15th century.[1][3]
Timeline
- 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.[4][5]
- 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it.[6][4]
- early 15th century – English comparable is recorded.[3]
Meanings
Adjective
- Comparable, similar.[2]
Word family
- incomparābilis
Related words
- comparō
- pār
- English comparable
References
- ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
- ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
- ^ 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