palatium

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [paˈɫaː.ti.ũː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [paˈlat.t͡si.um]^[1]

Forms

palātium n (genitive palātiī or palātī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Palātium, the Palatine hill of Rome, where the emperors' residences stood.^[1][2][3] Naevius had ⟨Balātium⟩, according to Varro, and Martial scans it ⟨Pālātium⟩.^[2] Isidore derived the hill's name from Pallas, prince of the Arcadians.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Naevius, whom he dates c. 235–200 BC.^[5] The OLD's earliest citation for the hill is from Cicero.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant the Palatine hill, one of the seven hills of Rome, as in Varro, Cicero and Livy.^[2][6] From Augustus, as in Ovid and Tacitus, it meant the imperial residence on the Palatine, and in Juvenal a temple there.^[2][6] From this it came to mean any palace.^[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a palace or the imperial court.^[7] Medieval Latin used it for the imperial residence, the king's court and palace, the fisc and royal power.^[8] It survives in Italian palazzo, French palais and Spanish palacio, and Old French palais and Medieval Latin palacium gave English palace in the early 13th century.^[1][3]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it of the Palatine.^[5][2]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the Palatine hill.^[2][5]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of the imperial residence.^[2][5]
• early 13th century – English palace is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. The Palatine hill.^[2]
2. The imperial residence; a temple on the Palatine.^[2]
3. A palace.^[6][7]
4. (Medieval Latin) The king's court; the fisc; royal power.^[8]

Related words

• Palātīnus
• English palace
• English palatine

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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
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 Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill