Etymologically
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municipalis

Etymology and origin of the Latin word municipalis

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Cicero
Ultimate origin
Latin (mūnus,capiō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin municipalis
English municipal

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [muː.nɪ.kɪˈpaː.lɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [mu.ni.t͡ʃiˈpaː.lis][1]

Forms

mūnicipālis (neuter mūnicipāle); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from mūniceps “citizen of a municipium” or mūnicipium with the suffix -ālis.[2][1] ⟨Mūniceps⟩ is from mūnus “duty, service to the community”, and ⟨-cipere⟩, the combining form of capiō “to take”.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Cicero, whom he dates 81–43 BC, and Gaffiot cites the speech for Sulla.[4][5]

Semantic evolution

It meant of or belonging to a municipium, a self-governing town of Roman citizens, or to its citizens, often in a disparaging sense, provincial, as in Cicero; of persons it meant born in or living in a municipium.[2][6] Tacitus used it too.[5]

British Medieval Latin used it of a city or borough, its officials and its legislation.[7] English municipal came through French municipal in the 1540s, of the self-government of a town.[3]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.[5][4]
  • 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it.[5][4]
  • 1540s – English municipal is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of a municipium or its citizens, municipal; provincial.[2]
  2. (of persons) Born in or living in a municipium.[2]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Of a city or borough.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d 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 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. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b 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

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Municipalis.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/municipalis. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·