divitiae

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [diːˈwɪ.ti.ae̯]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [diˈvit.t͡si.e]^[1]

Forms

dīvitiae f pl (genitive dīvitiārum); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from dīves “rich” with the suffix -ia.^[2][1][3] Accius has a singular ⟨dīvitiam⟩.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of wealth.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant wealth, riches, abundance of money or possessions, as in Plautus and Cicero, of ornaments, and in dīvitiās venīre “to come into money”, as in Plautus.^[2][3] It meant an abundance of natural products, and of intellectual gifts, as Cicero's dīvitiae ingeniī.^[2][3] Döderlein says dīvitiae and gazae are riches in general, while opēs are means of power.^[6]

In Medieval Latin it meant riches, wealth, also figuratively.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of wealth.^[2][5]
• 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses the singular.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of wealth and of talent.^[3][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. Wealth, riches.^[2]
2. An abundance (of natural products, of talent).^[2]

Related words

• dīves
• ops
• gāza

References

1. ^ a b c d 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 Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
4. ^ 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. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
7. ^ 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