maniacus

Forms

maniacus (feminine maniaca, neuter maniacum); first/second-declension adjective^[1][2]

Etymology

According to Etymonline, the Late Latin word is borrowed from Ancient Greek μανιακός (maniakós), from μανία (manía, “madness”).^[3] Köbler connects it with mania,^[4] and the DMLBS gives a by-form manicus from μανικός (manikós).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first appears in Late Latin, in the Latin version of Alexander of Tralles, meaning raving or possessed.^[4] Greek–Latin glossaries render it with μαινόμενος (mainómenos, “raving”).^[5]

Semantic evolution

In medieval Latin it meant mad or frenzied, of people and of illnesses (morbo maniaco, maniaco furore),^[2][1] and as a noun a madman or a person possessed.^[2][1][6] Niermeyer glosses it as demoniac.^[6] Physicians grouped the maniaci with the melancholics.^[2][7]

The Latin word reached English through French maniaque as maniac about 1600.^[3]

Timeline

• before 1250 – British medieval Latin uses it as a noun, a madman.^[4]
• c. 1600 – English borrows it, through French, as maniac.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (Late Latin) mad, raving, frenzied.^[1][2][4]
2. (Medieval Latin) demoniac, possessed.^[6][4]

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A madman, a maniac; one possessed.^[1][2][6]

Related words

• mania
• English maniac

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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
2. ^ a b c d e f Novum Glossarium Mediae Latinitatis ab anno DCCC usque ad annum MCC (1957–), Copenhagen / Geneva / Paris: Union Académique Internationale; IRHT
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Goetz, Georg (1888–1923), Corpus glossariorum Latinorum, Leipzig: Teubner; vols. VI–VII Thesaurus glossarum emendatarum, digital ed. CGLO, Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
6. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl