Etymologically
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oblivium

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɔbˈliː.wi.ũː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [obˈliː.vi.um][1]

Forms

oblīvium n (genitive oblīviī or oblīvī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin oblīvīscor (“to forget”) + -ium.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Lucretius, and Gaffiot cites him.[3][4] Köbler dates Lucretius 96–55 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant forgetfulness, oblivion, usually in the plural, as in Lucretius' oblīvia rērum, Virgil and Horace, and Lewis & Short call it poetic, found once in Tacitus, for the usual oblīviō.[2][5][4]

British Medieval Latin used it for forgetting, forgetfulness.[6]

Timeline

  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it.[4][3]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it.[4][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Forgetfulness, oblivion.[2][5]

References

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