parasiticus

Forms

parasīticus (feminine parasītica, neuter parasīticum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek παρασιτικός (parasitikós, “of a parasite”).^[2][3][4] The Greek adjective belongs with παράσιτος (parásitos, “table companion”), from παρά (pará, “beside”).^[5] In Latin it is the adjective of parasitus, the hanger-on of comedy.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has it first, in the Captivi (ars parasitica, the craft of the sponger),^[6][4][5] and again in the Stichus of a parasite's jests, little flatteries and petty perjuries.^[6][7]

Semantic evolution

The word stayed tied to the parasite of comedy: Plautus uses it of the sponger's arts and tricks,^[6][7] and Donatus, commenting on Terence, speaks of the speech, wit and friendship typical of such parasites.^[6] Outside comedy, Augustus in a letter quoted by Suetonius jokes about a “parasitic table”,^[7][3] and the late comedy Querolus invents a mock “senatorial decree” of the parasites.^[6]

In British Medieval Latin John of Salisbury still uses it of the life of those who feast in style every day.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus speaks of ars parasitica in the Captivi.^[6][5]
• c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius quotes Augustus writing of a mensa parasitica.^[7][3][5]
• c. 310–380 AD – Donatus uses it repeatedly in his commentary on Terence.^[6][5]
• early 5th century AD – The Querolus jokes about a parasites' decree of the senate.^[6][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or typical of a parasite (a professional sponger at another's table), especially of the parasite in comedy.^[2][7][6]
2. (Medieval Latin) Belonging to the life of those who feast at others' expense.^[8]

Related words

• parasitus
• English parasitic

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
7. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
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