Etymologically
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convivalis

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [kɔn.wiːˈwaː.lɪs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [koɱ.viˈvaː.lis][1]

Forms

convīvālis (neuter convīvāle); third-declension two-termination adjective[1] Curtius has the form convīviālis, which is also a variant reading in Livy and Macrobius.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin convīva (“guest”) + -ālis.[4][3][5] Lewis & Short connect it instead with convīvium (“dinner party”).[2] De Vaan lists both nouns among the derivatives of vīvō (“to live”), which goes back to Proto-Indo-European *gʷíh₃-ue/o- (“to live”).[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler records it first in Livy,[7] who uses it of entertainments at banquets.[3][2] Lewis & Short note that it is rare and not found before Augustus.[2]

Semantic evolution

It means belonging to a feast or dinner party: Tacitus speaks of fabulae convivales, table talk, Curtius of games at a feast, Seneca the Elder of jokes at table, and other writers of banqueting couches, garments and vessels.[8][9] Prudentius has a song for the table, Macrobius table conversation.[8] In medieval charters denarii convivales were money paid in place of a meal,[10] and British writers used it of festive good cheer.[11] English convivial comes from the variant convīviālis.[12]

Timeline

  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of entertainments at banquets.[3][7]
  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus speaks of fabulae convivales.[9][7]
  • 1202 – A charter from Utrecht mentions denarii convivales, meal money.[10][7]
  • 1660s – English borrows convivial.[12]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of or for a feast or dinner party, festal, convivial.[4][2]
  2. (Medieval Latin) denarii convivales: money paid in place of a meal.[10]
  • English convivial

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
  6. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  8. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  9. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  10. ^ a b c Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  11. ^ 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
  12. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com