egestas

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɛˈɡɛs.taːs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [eˈd͡ʒɛs.tas]^[1]

Forms

egestās f (genitive egestātis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from an old s-stem noun ⟨*egos, *eges-⟩ “need”, from the root of egeō “to lack”, with the suffix -tās, like tempestās from ⟨*tempos⟩.^[2][3][1] De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic *egos (“need”), Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵ-es- (“lack, need”), and compares Oscan egmo (“matter, case”) and Old Norse ekla (“lack”), while finding the root etymology not very convincing.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan's first source is Plautus, whom Köbler dates c. 250–184 BC.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

It meant extreme poverty, destitution, as in Plautus, and with a genitive a shortage of something, as in Lucretius, and Tacitus has egestāte cibī “for want of food”.^[3][5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant need, want, poverty.^[6] Bede and other British Medieval Latin writers used it for need and destitution.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][3][4]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of a shortage.^[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. Extreme poverty, destitution.^[3]
2. A shortage, want (of something).^[3]

Related words

• egeō
• egēnus
• indigeō
• indigentia

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
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