lexicon

Forms

lexicon n (genitive lexicī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is a learned borrowed from Byzantine Greek λεξικόν (lexikón, “lexicon”),^[1] short for Ancient Greek λεξικὸν βιβλίον (lexikòn biblíon, “a book of words”),^[1][2] from λεξικός (lexikós, “of words”), from λέξις (léxis, “a saying, speech, word”), from λέγω (légō, “to speak”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to gather, collect”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wiktionary dates it at least to Girolamo Aleandro's Greek–Latin Lexicon of 1512, the title of a dictionary.^[1]

Semantic evolution

In Neo-Latin it was a plain word for a dictionary: a Polish chapter record of 1540 speaks of a lexicon of both laws “or dictionary” (sive dictionarium),^[3] and Forsett wished to be buried with the lexicon of Nizolius.^[4] English took it around 1600, from French or directly from New Latin.^[2]

Timeline

• 1512 – Girolamo Aleandro's Lexicon graeco-latinum.^[1]
• 1540 – A Polish chapter record pairs lexicon with dictionarium.^[3]
• c. 1600 – Borrowed into English as lexicon.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (New Latin) A dictionary, a lexicon; a word list.^[1][4][3]

Related words

• English lexicon

Usage notes

A Polish record of 1540 glosses it with the Medieval Latin word dictionarium.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c d Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
4. ^ a b Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de