Etymologically
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musicus

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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

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