Etymologically
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iure

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈjuː.rɛ][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈjuː.re][1]

Forms

iūre (not comparable)[1]

Etymology

It is the ablative singular of iūs (“law, right”), used as an adverb: “by law, by right”.[2][1] De Vaan derives ⟨iūs⟩ “law” (Old Latin ⟨ious⟩) from an s-stem ⟨*ieu̯os⟩, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂oi-u (“vital force, eternity”), cognate with Sanskrit आयुस् (ā́yus-, “life, lifespan”) and Avestan yaoš (“life, health”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Twelve Tables: a thief who is killed at night iūre caesus estō, “shall be held lawfully killed”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense is legal: according to the law, rightfully.[2] From Plautus on it means with good reason, justly, deservedly (iūre factum iūdicō, “I judge it rightly done”), and Lucretius uses it of correct reasoning and language.[2][1] Church Latin glosses it “justly, with justice”.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables: iūre caesus estō.[2][4]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus in the sense “justly”.[2][4]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius in the sense “correctly”.[2][4]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. By law, lawfully, rightfully.[2][1]
  2. With good reason, justly, deservedly.[2][5]
  3. Correctly, properly.[2][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson