musicus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈmuː.sɪ.kʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmuː.s̬i.kus]^[1]

Forms

mūsicus (feminine mūsica, neuter mūsicum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek μουσικός (mousikós, “of the Muses; musical”), from Μοῦσα (Moûsa, “Muse”).^[2][1][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Terence, whom he dates 190–159 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant of the Muses and the arts they protect, especially poetry, as in Gellius; of music, as in Cicero's lēgēs mūsicae, and Pliny's pedēs mūsicī “musical rhythm”, the neuter plural being the art of music; and of persons skilled in music, and as a noun a musician, as in Cicero, or in Ausonius a poet.^[2][5][6]

In Medieval Latin it meant musical, and as a noun a musicologist; the feminine mūsica was music theory.^[7] British Medieval Latin used it also for of the Muses.^[8] Latin mūsica, from the same Greek, gave English music in the mid-13th century.^[4]

Timeline

• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it.^[3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of music and musicians.^[2][3]
• c. 165 AD – Gellius uses it of the Muses.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of the Muses; poetic.^[2]
2. Of music, musical.^[2]

Noun

1. A musician; a poet.^[2][6]
2. (neuter plural) The art of music.^[2]

Word family

• immusicus

Related words

• mūsica
• Mūsa
• English music

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ 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