nundinae

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈnuːn.dɪ.nae̯]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈnun.di.ne]^[1]

Forms

nūndinae f pl (genitive nūndinārum); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is the feminine plural of ⟨*nūndinus⟩ “of the ninth day”, with ⟨fēriae⟩ “holidays” understood; ⟨*nūndinus⟩ is from ⟨*noweno-dino-⟩, from novem “nine” and ⟨*din-⟩ “day”, as in diēs.^[2][3][1][4] The market came every ninth day by Roman inclusive reckoning, every eighth by ours.^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from the Twelve Tables.^[2] Köbler dates them about 450 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It was the market day, held every eighth day (the ninth by Roman count), as in the Twelve Tables and Cicero, and the market or fair itself, as in Livy.^[2][4] De Vaan explains internūndinum “the period between market days” as from inter nūndinās.^[3]

In Medieval Latin it was a fair, and a tournament held at a fair.^[6] British Medieval Latin used it for a market day and a weekday, a day for business, as in Bede.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 450 BC – the Twelve Tables use it.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[4][5]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of a fair.^[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. (plural) A market day.^[2]
2. A market, fair.^[2][6]
3. (Medieval Latin) A tournament at a fair; a weekday.^[6][7]

Word family

• nundinālis
• nundinārius
• nundinium
• nundinum
• nūndinus
• trinundinus

Related words

• novem
• diēs
• nōnus

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ 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