Etymologically
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lucellum

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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]

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