gentilicius

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɡɛn.tiːˈlɪ.ki.ʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [d͡ʒen.tiˈliː.t͡ʃi.us]^[1]

Forms

gentīlicius (feminine gentīlicia, neuter gentīlicium); first/second-declension adjective^[1] Also spelled gentīlitius.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin gentīlis (“of a gens”) + -icius, from gēns “clan”.^[4][5][1] De Vaan traces ⟨gēns⟩ to Proto-Italic *genti-, Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁-ti- (“child”), originally “clan, people of the same descent”, cognate with Ancient Greek γένεσις (génesis, “birth”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Varro.^[4] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.^[7]

Semantic evolution

It meant belonging to a particular Roman clan (gēns), as of family rites in Cicero and Livy, and in Gellius tribal, national.^[4][3]

Medieval Latin used it for heathen, and British Medieval Latin for national, patriotic.^[8][9] English gentilicious is from it.^[1]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it.^[4][7]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of clan rites.^[3][7]
• c. 165 AD – Gellius uses it of a nation.^[4][7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of a Roman clan (gēns).^[4][2]
2. Tribal, national.^[4]
3. (Medieval Latin) Heathen.^[8]

Related words

• gentīlis
• gēns
• gentīlitās

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
4. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
6. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
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