domesticus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [dɔˈmɛs.tɪ.kʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [doˈmɛs.ti.kus]^[1]

Forms

domesticus (feminine domestica, neuter domesticum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is derived from domus “house”, probably through a form *domestis like agrestis, with the suffix of rūsticus.^[2][1][3] Etymonline traces domus to Proto-Indo-European *dem- (“house, household”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Rhetorica ad Herennium speaks of blood splashed on the walls of one's own house.^[2][5] Köbler dates the work 86/82 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant belonging to the house, as Cicero's intra domesticos parietes “within the walls of a house”, a garment worn at home, and Varro's water from his own house.^[2][6] Lewis & Short note that the literal sense was rare and the transferred senses far more frequent: of a family or household, as family witnesses, and one's own or personal.^[7][2] It meant native or internal as opposed to foreign, and customary or familiar.^[2][8] As a noun it was a member of the household.^[5]

In medieval Latin it was used of domestic animals, of someone resident or confidential, and of monastic life.^[9][10] As a noun it was a royal official among the Franks, the steward of the king's domains, a member of the imperial guard and a courtier.^[9][5] English domestic came from Old French and Latin in the early 15th century.^[4]

Timeline

• 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it of the walls of a house.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the household and of what is native.^[2][5]
• 65–8 BC – Horace has domesticus otior, “I idle at home”.^[7][5]
• early 15th century – English domestic is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of the house, household, domestic.^[2][1]
2. Of the family.^[2]
3. Native, internal, civil.^[2][8]
4. Personal, one's own.^[2]
5. Customary, familiar.^[2][1]
6. (Medieval Latin) Of animals, domestic; confidential.^[9]

Noun

1. A member of the household.^[5][11]
2. (Medieval Latin) A royal official; a member of the guard; a courtier.^[9][5]

Word family

• domesticātim
• domesticī

Related words

• domus
• English domestic

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
9. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
10. ^ 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