Etymologically
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palatium

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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]
  • 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