meretricius

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [mɛ.rɛˈtriː.ki.ʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [me.reˈtriː.t͡ʃi.us]^[1]

Forms

meretrīcius (feminine meretrīcia, neuter meretrīcium); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin meretrīx (“prostitute”) + -ius, from mereō “to earn”, so literally of a woman who earns.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Plautus, and Gaffiot cites his Bacchides.^[4][5] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant of or typical of a courtesan or prostitute, as of ornaments, and in Cicero, and Gaffiot gives the neuter meretrīcium as a noun.^[2][6][5]

British Medieval Latin used it for whorish.^[7] English meretricious (1620s, “pertaining to harlots”) is from it.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[5][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[5][4]
• 1620s – English meretricious is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of a courtesan or prostitute, meretricious.^[2][6]

Word family

• meretrīcium

Related words

• meretrīx
• mereō
• English meretricious

References

1. ^ a b c d 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ 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