Etymologically
Log in

philosophus

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 23:00. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [pʰɪˈɫɔ.sɔ.pʰʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [fiˈlɔː.s̬o.fus][1]

Forms

philosophus (feminine philosopha, neuter philosophum, adverb philosophē); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek φιλόσοφος (philósophos, “lover of wisdom, philosopher”), from φίλος (phílos, “loving, friend”) and σοφός (sophós, “wise, skilled”).[2][3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Pacuvius, quoted by Gellius, has the adjective in philosopha sententia, “a philosophical saying”.[4][3]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it means philosophical, as Cicero's philosophae scrīptiōnēs, “philosophical writings”.[4][2] As a noun it is a philosopher, and the feminine philosopha a woman philosopher.[2][1]

Church Latin glosses it “philosopher”.[5] In medieval Latin it was also a schoolmaster in charge of a cathedral school, and a monk.[6] English philosopher (early 14th century) replaced Old English philosophe.[7]

Timeline

  • 220–130 BC – Pacuvius: philosopha sententia.[4][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of philosophical writings.[4][3]
  • early 14th century – English philosopher.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A philosopher.[2][1][5]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A schoolmaster; a monk.[6]

Adjective

  1. philosophical.[2][4][1]

Word family

  • philosophaster
  • philosophicus
  • philosophor
  • philosopha
  • philosophia

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com