Etymologically
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honorarius

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [hɔ.noːˈraː.ri.ʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [o.noˈraː.ri.us][1]

Forms

honōrārius (feminine honōrāria, neuter honōrārium); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin honor (“honour, public office”) + -ārius.[2][1] De Vaan, who files the noun under its older form honōs, finds no etymology for it beyond Latin.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found first in Cato,[3][4] who says that many people gave complimentary wine to praetors and consuls in the provinces, but that he never accepted it.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

It described what was given or done as a mark of honour rather than from duty: Cicero has complimentary grain for a governor and an honorary arbitrator, chosen informally by the parties;[2][6] Carneades used to judge a dispute as such an arbitrator.[2][6] Cicero also says that instructing is a duty of the orator, delighting a favour, delectare honorarium, and moving the hearers a necessity.[6][7] Suetonius has games given optionally by magistrates and a cenotaph, tumulus honorarius;[2][7] inscriptions record the summa honoraria, a voluntary contribution to the treasury, especially by magistrates.[2]

In law it meant derived from public office: Papinian explains the ius honorarium as the law of the praetors' edicts, named after their office.[2] The neuter honōrārium became a noun for a gift of honour.[7]

Timeline

  • 234–149 BC – Cato speaks of complimentary wine for praetors and consuls.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero has an honorary arbitrator.[2][4]
  • c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius writes of games given by magistrates.[2][4]
  • before 212 AD – Papinian defines the ius honorarium.[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Given or done as a mark of honour, voluntary, complimentary;[2][5] of games, given by magistrates at their own cost.[2]
  2. arbiter honorarius: an arbitrator chosen informally by the parties.[2][6]
  3. Of or derived from public office;[2] (law) ius honorarium, the law of the praetors' edicts.[2]
  4. Honorary.[8][1]

Word family

  • honōrārium

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 l m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b 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 e 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 c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  7. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson