novellus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [nɔˈwɛl.lʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [noˈvɛl.lus]^[1]

Forms

novellus (feminine novella, neuter novellum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is a diminutive of novus “new” with the suffix -ellus.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Cato, of young plants.^[2] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant young, tender, of plants in Cato, and of animals in Varro, Columella and Pliny the Elder, especially frequent in farming language.^[2][4][5] In Livy it meant recently acquired, as the new colonists of Aquileia, and it also meant recent, and novel.^[2][4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant young, new, and as a neuter plural young shoots.^[6] British Medieval Latin used it for somewhat new.^[7] It survives in Italian novello and Spanish novillo “young bull”, and Old French novel gave French nouveau and English novel “new” in the mid-15th century.^[1][8]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of young plants.^[2][3]
• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of young animals.^[2][3]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of the recently acquired.^[2][3]
• mid-15th century – English novel (adjective) is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Young, tender.^[2]
2. Recently acquired; recent.^[2]
3. Of a new kind, novel.^[2]

Related words

• novellaster
• novellē
• novus
• English novel
• English nouveau

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ 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
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com