librarius

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [lɪˈbraː.ri.ʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [liˈbraː.ri.us]^[1]

Forms

librārius m (genitive librāriī or librārī, feminine librāria); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from liber “book” with the suffix -ārius, first as an adjective “of books” and then as a noun.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation for the noun is Varro, and Varro also has scrība librārius “record clerk”.^[2][3] Köbler's first source is Cicero.^[4] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

As a noun it meant a scribe, copyist or secretary, as in Cicero, and a bookseller, as in Catullus and Seneca.^[2][5] As an adjective it meant of books, as Cicero's librāria taberna “bookshop” and Horace's scrīptor librārius “copyist”.^[3][5] Jerome uses it of an elementary teacher.^[5]

In Medieval Latin it meant a primary schoolmaster, an author, a librarian and a chancery clerk, and as an adjective learned.^[6][7] It survives in Spanish librero, Italian libraio and French libraire “bookseller”.^[1] English library comes in the late 14th century from the related librārium “bookcase” and librāria “bookshop”.^[8]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of a record clerk and a copyist.^[2][4]
• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of a bookseller.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a secretary and a bookshop.^[5][4]
• c. 383–419/420 AD – Jerome uses it of a schoolmaster.^[5][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A scribe, copyist, secretary.^[2]
2. A bookseller.^[2]
3. (Late Latin) An elementary teacher.^[5]
4. (Medieval Latin) A librarian; an author; a chancery clerk.^[6][7]

Adjective

1. Of books.^[2]

Word family

• librāria
• librāriolus

Related words

• liber
• English library

Usage notes

A different adjective lībrārius, from lībra “pound”, meant weighing a pound.^[2][5]

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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d e f g Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b 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
8. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com