gregalis

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɡrɛˈɡaː.lɪs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ɡreˈɡaː.lis]^[1]

Forms

gregālis (neuter gregāle); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1] Military diplomas usually have the ablative singular gregāle.^[2]

Etymology

It is from grex “flock, herd” with the suffix -ālis.^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨grex⟩ to Proto-Italic *gʷreg-, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷreg- (“group, herd”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Cicero, whom he dates 81–43 BC, and the OLD's first citation is from Varro.^[4][2]

Semantic evolution

It meant of a flock or herd, living in herds, as in Varro's equī gregālēs and Pliny the Elder; as a noun, an animal of the same herd, and in the plural, in Cicero, comrades, companions; and common, ordinary, as in Seneca.^[2][5][6] Mīles gregālis was a common soldier, and sagulum gregāle a common soldier's cloak, as in Livy.^[2]

British Medieval Latin used it for living in a flock, of a goose, and for common.^[7]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of horses in herds.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[4]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of a soldier's cloak.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of a flock or herd, gregarious.^[2]
2. Common, ordinary; of a common soldier.^[2]

Noun

1. A herd-mate, (plural) comrades, companions.^[2][6][5]
2. A common soldier.^[2]

Related words

• grex
• gregārius
• English gregarious

References

1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
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