magnus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈmaŋ.nʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmaɲ.ɲus]^[1]

Forms

magnus (feminine magna, neuter magnum, comparative maior, superlative maximus or maxumus, adverb magnopere); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *magno- (“great”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *m̥ǵ-no- (“great”), from the root *meǵh₂- (“great”).^[2][1] The comparatives maior and magis and the superlative maximus come from the same root with the suffix *-is-.^[2]

Cognate with Oscan mais (“more”) and Umbrian mestru (“greater”),^[2] and further with Hittite mekki- (“much, many”), Sanskrit महि (máhi-, “great”), Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “great”), Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐍃 (mikils, “great”) and English much.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It appears in the Laws of the Twelve Tables.^[2][4] Livius Andronicus speaks of mare magnum, “the great sea”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant great in size, as Ennius' great oaks, and great in number or amount, as Plautus' great harvest.^[3] The ablative magno meant “at a high price”, magna voce “in a loud voice”, and it was used of strong winds.^[3] Added to a name it meant “the Great”, as in Pompey's cognomen, and in kinship it meant “great-”, as magna amita “great-aunt”.^[3]

Figuratively it meant great in degree, difficult, important, and of people eminent, powerful or distinguished.^[3] Magno animo was “with a bold or noble spirit”, and it could also mean proud or boastful.^[3] Medieval Latin used it in names such as Carolus Magnus, Charlemagne.^[1] English magnitude comes from its derivative magnitudo.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables use it.^[4]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a great harvest.^[3][4]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of great oaks and powerful peoples.^[3][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses magno animo, “with a great spirit”.^[3][4]
• c. 1400 – English magnitude is first recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Great, big, large.^[3][6]
2. Much, many, great (in amount).^[3][1]
3. magno At a high price.^[3]
4. (of sound) Loud, magna voce in a loud voice.^[3][1]
5. (of wind, sea) Strong, violent.^[3]
6. (after names) The Great.^[3][1]
7. (in kinship) Great-, magna amita great-aunt.^[3]
8. Great (in degree), intense.^[3]
9. Difficult; important.^[3][1]
10. Eminent, powerful; distinguished.^[3][1]
11. Bold, noble (in spirit); proud, boastful.^[3]

Word family

• magnalia
• magnanimis
• magnanimus
• magnārius
• magnātus
• magnidicus
• magnifaciō
• magnificō
• magnificus
• magniloquāx
• magniloquentia
• magniloquus

Related words

• mactus
• magis
• magister
• magnās
• maiestās
• maiusculus
• ingēns
• English magnitude
• English magnificent
• English magnate

Usage notes

Döderlein groups magnus, grandis and amplus, a fitting greatness, against ingens, immanis and vastus, an overwhelming one, and notes that magnus is greatness with no further shade of meaning.^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper