peculiaris

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [pɛ.kuː.liˈaː.rɪs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [pe.ku.liˈaː.ris]^[1]

Forms

pecūliāris (neuter pecūliāre, adverb pecūliāriter); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from pecūlium “private property” with the suffix -āris; ⟨pecūlium⟩ is from pecū “cattle”, property in cattle being the oldest kind of wealth.^[2][1][3] De Vaan traces ⟨pecū⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *peḱ-u- (“cattle”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of what is one's own.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

In law it meant of someone's pecūlium, the property a slave or son could hold, as in Gaius, and Ulpian's pecūliāre vīnum was wine bought from such funds; generally it meant one's own, personal, private, as in Plautus; and singular, exceptional, particular, as in Cicero.^[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant peculiar, unique, special, and was used of the chosen people.^[7][8][5] Medieval Latin used it of a monk's private things and of the worship proper to feasts.^[9] English peculiar (mid-15th century, “belonging exclusively to one person”) came through Old French and directly from Latin.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the exceptional.^[2][5]
• mid-15th century – English peculiar is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (law) Of a peculium.^[2]
2. One's own, personal, private.^[2]
3. Singular, special, peculiar.^[2][7]

Word family

• pecūliāriter

Related words

• pecūlium
• pecū
• pecūnia
• English peculiar

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ 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. ^ 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
9. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill