lucellum

Forms

lucellum n (genitive lucellī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is a diminutive, from Latin lucrum (“gain, profit”) + -lum.^[2][3][1] De Vaan traces lucrum to Proto-Italic *luklo-, dissimilated to ⟨*lukro-⟩, and Proto-Indo-European *lh2u-tló- (“seizure, gain”), comparing Ancient Greek ἀπολαύω (apolaúō, “to enjoy”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Cicero on.^[5][3] In the Verrines the Sicilians were ordered to give Apronius, the praetor's favourite, some small gain: Apronio, deliciis praetoris, lucelli aliquid iussi sunt dare Siculi.^[3][6]

Semantic evolution

It means a small or petty gain, financial or otherwise.^[2] Besides Cicero it appears in Catullus and Horace, who speaks of sharing a small gain and sets sweet profit against honour.^[3][6] Seneca uses it figuratively of sharing the day's small gain.^[6] The grammarians and Paul's epitome of Festus explain it as the diminutive of lucrum.^[3] Medieval writers still use it for a small gain or profit.^[7][8]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero, of a small profit.^[3][6][5]
• 65–8 BC – Horace, of a small gain shared.^[3][6][5]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca, figuratively.^[6][5]
• 974 – A charter, of the passing gains of this life.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A small or petty gain, slight profit.^[2][6][1]

Related words

• lucrum

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
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. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre