Etymologically
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magnus

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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
  • 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