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Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [pɛ.kuːˈɫaː.tɔr]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [pe.kuˈlaː.tor]^[1]

Forms

pecūlātor m (genitive pecūlātōris); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin pecūlor (“to embezzle”) + -tor, from pecūlium “private property”.^[2][1] Köbler connects it with pecus “cattle”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Cicero, and the OLD, Lewis & Short and Gaffiot cite his Dē officiīs.^[3][4][5] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant an embezzler of public money, a peculator, as in Cicero, Tacitus and Valerius Maximus.^[2][4]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[4][3]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it.^[4][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. An embezzler of public money, peculator.^[2][4]

Word family

• pecūlātōrius

Related words

• pecūlor
• pecūlātus
• pecūlium
• English peculate

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 e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.