Etymologically
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munus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈmuː.nʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmuː.nus][1]

Forms

mūnus n (genitive mūneris); third declension[1] The older spelling moenus is used by Lucretius.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *moi-nos- (“duty, obligation”), perhaps inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₂moi-no- (“exchange”), from the root that Wiktionary gives as Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“to change, exchange”).[4][1] Its family is built on two stems meaning “function, obligation”: a mūniceps was one who took on an obligation, and commūnis one who shared in the duties.[4]

Cognate with Oscan múíníkú (“common”), Umbrian muneklu (“contribution”) and Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (gamains, “common”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards,[4][5] whose parasite “easily does the work of eight men”.[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant a function or task, and a citizen's duty to the state, such as military service, office or taxes.[2] It was an offering owed to gods or the dead, as Catullus' “last gift of death” to his brother.[2] A public show, especially of gladiators, was a munus, perhaps as an obligation of the magistrate who gave it.[2]

It also meant a gift freely given, a service or favour, and a work or product, as Cicero calls the world the work of a god.[2] Frontinus used it for a fountain on the Roman aqueducts.[2] In feudal Latin it meant an investiture and a fief.[6] English common and municipal come from its relatives communis and municipalis.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for a task and a gift.[2][5]
  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it for a public show.[2][5]
  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it for an offering to the dead.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it for shows and favours.[2][5]
  • c. 1300 – English common is first recorded.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A function, task; a duty.[2][3]
  2. A public duty (service, office, tax).[2][1]
  3. An offering, tribute (to gods, the dead).[2]
  4. A public show, especially of gladiators.[2][1]
  5. A gift, present.[2][1]
  6. A service, favour.[2][1]
  7. A work, product.[2]
  8. (Medieval Latin) An investiture; a fief.[6]

Word family

  • commūnis
  • mūnerālis
  • mūnerārius
  • mūnerigerulus
  • mūnificēns
  • mūnificō
  • mūnificus
  • mūnis
  • mūnusculum
  • immūnis
  • mūnerābundus
  • moenia
  • English common
  • English municipal
  • English remunerate

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes donum, a free gift meant to give pleasure, from munus, a gift that rewards a service or shows favour, and officium, a moral obligation, from munus, a public office or charge.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d 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 c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper