lapidarius

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɫa.pɪˈdaː.ri.ʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [la.piˈdaː.ri.us]^[1]

Forms

lapidārius (feminine lapidāria, neuter lapidārium); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin lapis (“stone”) + -ārius, from the stem ⟨lapid-⟩.^[2][1] De Vaan reconstructs ⟨lapis⟩ as Proto-Italic ⟨*la/eped-⟩, compares Umbrian ⟨vapeře⟩ “stone seat” and Ancient Greek λέπας (lépas, “bare rock”), and takes it as probably a Mediterranean loanword.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short cite Plautus for latomiae lapidāriae, stone quarries.^[4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant of or concerned with stone, stone-cutting or quarrying, as in Plautus and Petronius, litterae lapidāriae were block capitals like those of inscriptions.^[2][4] Lewis & Short call it ante-classical and post-Augustan.^[4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it is a noun, a stonecutter, mason.^[6] Medieval Latin used it for a lapidary, a treatise on precious stones.^[7] English lapidary (late 14th century) is from it through Old French, and German lapidar “terse” is from it.^[8][5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of quarries.^[4][5]
• before 66 AD – Petronius uses it of block letters.^[5][2]
• late 14th century – English lapidary is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of stone, of stone-cutting or quarrying.^[2][4]

Noun

1. (Ecclesiastical Latin) A stonecutter, mason.^[6][9]
2. (Medieval Latin) A lapidary, a book on precious stones.^[7]

Related words

• lapis
• lapideus
• English lapidary

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d 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 e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
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