natalicius

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [naː.taːˈlɪ.ki.ʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [na.taˈliː.t͡ʃi.us]^[1]

Forms

nātālicius (feminine nātālicia, neuter nātālicium); first/second-declension adjective^[1] Also spelled nātālītius.^[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin nātālis (“of birth”) + -icius, from nāscor (“to be born”).^[3][1][4] De Vaan traces ⟨nāscor⟩ to Proto-Italic *gnāsk-e/o- (“to be born”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₁-sḱ-e/o- (“to be born”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest source is Cicero's De divinatione, of the hour of birth in astrology.^[4][6] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant of or belonging to the time of birth, as of the Chaldaeans' birth-hour predictions in Cicero, and of or in honour of a birthday, as in Martial; as a noun, a birthday or a birthday present.^[3][2][6]

In Medieval Latin diēs nātālīcius was the anniversary of a saint's death, and it also meant held at Christmas.^[7] British Medieval Latin used it for birthday, native, and of a saint's or martyr's feast.^[8]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[6][4]
• 40–102/103 AD – Martial uses it of a birthday.^[6][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of the time of birth.^[3]
2. Of a birthday.^[3]
3. (Medieval Latin) Of a saint's day; of Christmas.^[7]

Noun

1. A birthday; a birthday present.^[3]

Related words

• nātālis
• nāscor

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b 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