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consularis

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word consularis

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
81–43 BC, Cicero
Ultimate origin
Latin (cōnsul)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin consul
English consul
Latin consularis

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [kõː.sʊˈɫaː.rɪs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [kon.suˈlaː.ris][1]

Forms

cōnsulāris (neuter cōnsulāre, adverb cōnsulāriter); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin cōnsul (“consul”) + -āris.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,[3] who speaks of witnesses deterred cōnsulārī metū, “by fear of a consul”, and of a man cuius quattuor fīliī cōnsulārēs fuērunt, “whose four sons were ex-consuls”.[2]

Semantic evolution

Cōnsulāris is “of a consul, consular”, and L&S call it very frequent: aetās cōnsulāris is the age the law required for the consulship, comitia cōnsulāria the elections of consuls, auspicia cōnsulāria the consul's auspices.[2][4][1] Of men it is “of consular rank, having been consul”, and as a noun cōnsulāris is an ex-consul.[2][1] Under the emperors it is also a governor of consular rank sent to a province.[1]

In Medieval Latin it can mean “of a count”, beside “of the consuls”.[5] English consular (early 15th century, of a Roman consul) comes from it.[6]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero: cōnsulārī metū;[2][3] fīliī cōnsulārēs.[2][3]
  • 528–534 AD – The Code of Justinian uses cōnsulāris as a noun.[3]
  • early 15th century – Borrowed into English as consular.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of a consul, consular.[2][4][1]
  2. Of consular rank, having been consul.[2][1]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Of a count.[5]

Noun

  1. An ex-consul.[2][1]
  2. A governor of consular rank.[1]

Word family

  • cōnsulāritās

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Consularis.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/consularis. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·