fabrica

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈfa.brɪ.ka]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfaː.bri.ka]^[1]

Forms

fabrica f (genitive fabricae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from faber “craftsman, smith” with the suffix ⟨-ca⟩, ⟨-cus⟩, and Wiktionary takes it from an adjective ⟨*fabricus⟩ used with officīna “workshop” and ars “art”.^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨faber⟩ to Proto-Italic *fafro-, perhaps Proto-Indo-European *dʰHbʰ-ro- (“craftsman”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of a trick.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It was a craft or art, as in Cicero and Pliny's fabrica aerāria “bronze-working”; the process of making or building, construction, as in Cicero; and the workshop of a craftsman in hard materials, as in Terence.^[2][5][6] In Plautus it was a plan, a device, a trick.^[2]

In Medieval Latin it was building work, and especially the fabric of a church, the building and upkeep of its fabric and the funds for it.^[7][8] British Medieval Latin used it for a workshop, especially a forge or bloomery.^[9] It survives in Italian fabbrica and, through Old French faverge, in French forge.^[1] English fabric came through French fabrique in the late 15th century, first “a building”.^[10]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a trick.^[2][4]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of a workshop.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a craft and of building.^[2][4]
• late 15th century – English fabric is recorded.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. A craft, art.^[2]
2. Making, building, construction.^[2]
3. A workshop, (Medieval Latin) a forge.^[2][9]
4. A plan, device, trick.^[2]
5. (Medieval Latin) The building and upkeep of a church; its fabric fund.^[7][8]

Word family

• fabricula
• fabricēnsis
• fabricor

Related words

• faber
• fabrē
• fabrēfaciō
• fabrēfactus
• fabricābilis
• fabricātiō
• fabricātor
• fabricātōrius
• fabricātrīx
• fabricātus
• English fabric
• English forge

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
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. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
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
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com