duplus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈdʊ.pɫʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈduː.plus]^[1]

Forms

duplus (feminine dupla, neuter duplum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *duplos (“double”), equivalent to duo “two” with the suffix -plus (“-fold”).^[1][2] De Vaan derives duo from Proto-Indo-European *du-o-h₁ (“two”).^[3] Cognate with Umbrian dupla (“double (accusative feminine)”), Ancient Greek διπλόος (diplóos, “double”) and Gothic 𐍄𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍆𐌻𐍃 (tweifls, “doubt”).^[4][5][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler gives the Twelve Tables first,^[6] which he dates to about 450 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant twice as large or twice as much.^[5] Cicero speaks of double and triple intervals, and Livy of a double sum of money.^[7][8] As a noun duplum was the double of anything.^[7]

In medieval British Latin it also meant having two parts, and in heraldry a cross double parted.^[9] Through Old French doble it gave English double, recorded about 1300, and through the verb duplāre English double “to make twice as much” about 1200.^[2] It survives in Italian doppio and Spanish doble.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables use the word.^[6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of double and triple intervals.^[7][6]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy speaks of a double sum of money.^[7][6]
• c. 1300 – English double “twice as much” is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. double, twice as much or as large.^[5]
2. (Medieval Latin) Twofold, having two parts.^[9]

Noun

1. duplum, the double, twice the amount.^[7]

Word family

• dupla
• duplaris
• duplārius
• dupliō
• duplō

Related words

• duo
• duplex
• English double
• English duplicate

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
9. ^ a b 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