Etymologically
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convicium

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Forms

convīcium n (genitive convīciī or convīcī); second declension[1]

Etymology

Its origin is disputed.[2][1] The Roman jurists and Festus connected it with vōx “voice”, as a clamour of many voices, and the OLD and Lewis and Short follow them, but de Vaan thinks this impossible for the form.[3][4][2] Leumann suggested a denominative of *convīcī “housemates”; de Vaan prefers a link with vinciō “to bind”, since scolding encircles someone, from *kom-woik-io-.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus, who tells someone not to make a clamour and an uproar here.[2][5][3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It was first an angry noise, a clamour or uproar, as Cicero's ears wearied by noise, and then insulting talk, abuse, reproof or mockery, especially in convīcium facere alicui “to abuse someone loudly”.[3][6] In Roman law it was a public insult, shouted against a person, a kind of iniūria.[3]

Döderlein ranks it among words for verbal abuse beside maledictum and probrum.[7] Medieval writers used it for reproach and insult.[8] It survives in Spanish convicio and Portuguese convício.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of an uproar.[3][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of ears wearied by clamour.[3][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An angry noise, clamour, uproar.[3]
  2. Insulting talk, abuse, reproof, convīcium facere, to abuse loudly.[3]
  3. An object of reproach.[6]

Word family

  • convīciolum
  • convīcior

Usage notes

The spelling convītium is found in manuscripts and was preferred by some editors.[3][4]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  8. ^ 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