Etymologically
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lapidarius

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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]

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