Etymologically

dualis

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 18:04. This address is a permanent link to this version.

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [duˈaː.lɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [duˈaː.lis][1]

Forms

duālis (neuter duāle); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from duo “two” with the suffix -ālis, and the TLL compares Greek ⟨δυϊκός⟩.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Quintilian, whom he dates c. 35–95/96 AD, and Quintilian uses it of the dual in grammar.[4][5]

Semantic evolution

It was a grammatical term, relating to two, the dual number, as in Quintilian.[2][5] Lactantius has duālis numerus for the number two.[5][6]

British Medieval Latin used it for relating to two, the dual in grammar, the middle incisors, and as a noun a large dish.[7] It gave English dual about 1600, first in grammar.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of the dual.[4][5]
  • c. 250–317 AD – Lactantius uses it of the number two.[5][4]
  • c. 1600 – English dual is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of two, (grammar) dual.[2]

Word family

  • duālitās

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  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
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com