Etymologically
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plasticus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word plasticus

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
Vitruvius
Borrowed from
Ancient Greek πλαστικός
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek (πλάσσω)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin plasticus
English plastic

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈpɫas.tɪ.kʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈplas.ti.kus][1]

Forms

plasticus (feminine plastica, neuter plasticum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek πλαστικός (plastikós, “fit for moulding”), from πλάστης (plástēs, “moulder”), from πλάσσω (plássō, “to mould”).[2][1][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short and Gaffiot cite Vitruvius, ratiō plastica “the art of modelling”.[5][6] Köbler dates Vitruvius c. 84–c. 25 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant of or belonging to modelling or moulding, as in Vitruvius, and Tertullian has manus plastica “the moulding hand”.[2][5]

British Medieval Latin used it for forming, moulding, shaping.[7] English plastic is recorded in the 1630s, “capable of shaping or moulding”.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius uses it.[5][3]
  • c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it.[5][3]
  • 1630s – English plastic is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of modelling or moulding, plastic.[2][5]

Usage notes

Lewis & Short and Gaffiot give a noun plasticus “modeller, sculptor” from Firmicus Maternus, but the Thesaurus says it was cited from him wrongly.[5][6][8]

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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften

Borrowed into

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Plasticus.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/plasticus. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·