Etymologically
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novus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈnɔ.wʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈnɔː.vus][1]

Forms

novus (feminine nova, neuter novum, comparative novior, superlative novissimus, adverb novē or noviter); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *nowo-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *néwos (“new”).[2][1] Sabellic has a different form, as Umbrian nuvis (“new”), from Proto-Indo-European *neuio-.[2] Cognate with Hittite newa- (“new”), Sanskrit नव (náva, “new”), Ancient Greek νέος (néos, “new”), Lithuanian naũjas (“new”) and English new.[2][3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus uses it.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was new, made for the first time, as a new farmhouse in Cato, and young or fresh, as Cicero's new wine.[3][5] It was unfamiliar or strange, unheard of, unexpected, additional, renewed, and replacing an earlier one, rēs nova was a new turn of events.[3] Döderlein contrasts it with recēns, recent.[6]

In medieval Latin dē novō meant “anew” or “recently”, and nova were news.[7][8] It survives as Italian nuovo, Spanish nuevo, Portuguese novo and Romanian nou.[1] English novel comes from novellus, and novice from novīcius.[9]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of something strange to him.[3][4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato speaks of building a new farmhouse.[3][4]
  • mid-14th century – English novice is recorded.[9]
  • 1560s – English novel “story” is recorded, from Italian novella.[9]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. New, fresh, young.[3][10]
  2. Unfamiliar, strange; unheard of.[3]
  3. Unexpected.[3]
  4. Additional, renewed; replacing an earlier one.[3]
  5. Rēs nova, a new development.[3]
  6. (Medieval Latin) Dē novō, anew, nova, news.[7][8]

Word family

  • dēnuō
  • novē
  • novellus
  • novitās
  • novō
  • nūntius
  • renovō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b 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
  9. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  10. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press