miniscor

Pronunciation

• Classical: [mɪˈniːs.kɔr]^[1]
• Ecclesiastical: [miˈnis.kor]^[1]

Forms

minīscor (present infinitive minīscī, perfect active mentus sum); third conjugation, deponent^[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.^[1] The OLD and the TLL connect it with meminī,^[2][3] and the TLL refers to comminīscor for more.^[3] De Vaan considers the forms given by Festus, ⟨minīscī⟩ and ⟨mentus⟩, untrustworthy, but takes the inchoative ⟨-minīscī⟩ of the compounds to point to an earlier present Proto-Indo-European *men-i- or Proto-Indo-European *mn-ie-.^[4] Wiktionary likewise explains the ⟨-minīscī⟩ forms as the inchoative suffix -scō added to Proto-Indo-European *mn̥yétor or possibly Proto-Indo-European *ményetor, from the root Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to think”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is known only from Festus (2nd half of the 2nd century AD),^[5] in the epitome by Paulus, which says that miniscitur was said in old times for reminiscitur “remembers”.^[3][2]

Timeline

• 2nd half of the 2nd century AD – Festus records miniscitur as an old word for reminiscitur.^[3][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. (archaic) To remember, recollect; the same as reminīscor.^[1][3]

Word family

• comminīscor
• ēminīscor

Usage notes

It is a hapax legomenon.^[1] Festus also records a noun mentum, said for commentum “invention”.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de