Etymologically
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ethnicus

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈɛtʰ.nɪ.kʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈɛt.ni.kus][1]

Forms

ethnicus (feminine ethnica, neuter ethnicum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐθνικός (ethnikós, “of or for a nation, national”),[1][2][3] from ἔθνος (éthnos, “band of people, nation, tribe”).[4][3] Köbler mentions two possible Indo-European sources for the Greek noun, both with a question mark.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It appears in Tertullian, meaning heathen or pagan, and as a noun for a pagan.[2][5][6]

Semantic evolution

The word belongs to Christian Latin: the Vulgate uses it as a noun in Matthew.[2] Augustine explains it as meaning the same as gentilis and paganus,[7] and Tertullian also has the adverb ethnicē, “in the manner of a pagan”.[2]

Medieval writers kept the sense “heathen” and also used it more loosely for wicked or criminal people;[8] British authors wrote of the pagan kings of the Danes who invaded England.[9] English took it over in the sense “pagan, heathen”.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it as an adjective, “pagan”, and as a noun for pagans.[2][6][4]
  • 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses it for a Gentile in Matthew.[2][4]
  • 354–430 AD – Augustine glosses it with gentilis and paganus.[7][4]
  • late 15th century – Borrowed into English as ethnic in the sense “pagan, heathen”.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Heathen, pagan, gentile.[2][10][11]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Wicked, criminal.[8]

Noun

  1. (Ecclesiastical Latin) A heathen, a pagan.[2][11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  7. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  8. ^ a b Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  9. ^ 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
  10. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  11. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill