Etymologically
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inferiae

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ĩːˈfɛ.ri.ae̯][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [iɱˈfɛː.ri.e][1]

Forms

īnferiae f pl (genitive īnferiārum); first declension[2]

Etymology

The OLD derives it from īnferius (“lower”), influenced by association with īnferī, the dead.[2][1] Lewis & Short connect it with ⟨īnferī⟩ directly.[3] De Vaan traces īnferus (“lower”) to Proto-Italic *enþero- (“lower”) and Proto-Indo-European *n̥dʰero- (“lower”), comparing Sanskrit अधर (ádhara-, “lower”) and Old High German untar (“under”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Lucretius.[5]

Semantic evolution

It is the offerings of wine, honey, flowers and the like made to a dead person's spirit or to the dead.[2] Cicero speaks of bringing such offerings to someone, and in Virgil a speaker asks that offerings be brought for him though absent.[3] It is also the rites for the dead: Catullus comes to his brother's sad funeral rites.[2] An old inscription seems to use it of a tomb, addressing the traveller who looks at the deceased's portrait.[2] Glosses explain it as the sacrifices offered to the dead.[6]

Timeline

  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it.[5]
  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus of his brother's funeral rites.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of offerings to the dead.[3][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil of offerings for one absent.[3][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Offerings to the dead, sacrifices in honour of the dead.[2][3][1]
  2. Funeral rites.[2][1]
  3. Apparently, a tomb.[2]

Word family

  • inferiālis

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften