Etymologically
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plebiscitum

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [pɫeː.bɪsˈkiː.tũː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ple.biʃˈʃiː.tum][1]

Forms

plēbiscītum n (genitive plēbiscītī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin plebs (“common people”) + scitum (“decree”), often written separately as plēbī scītum.[2][3][1] scītum is the participle of scīscō “to vote for, decree”.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, in the Pseudolus, uses plēbī scītum.[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It was a decree of the plebs, as opposed to a senātūs cōnsultum, and Cicero and the Institutes of Justinian use it.[3] Gellius quotes Capito that a plēbis scītum is a law which the plebs, not the whole people, accepts.[3] The DMLBS explains it as a resolution of the plebs in the tribal assembly, given the force of law around 287 BC.[6]

English plebiscite is used of Roman history from the 1530s, and came from French in its modern sense, a direct vote of the people, in 1852.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses plēbī scītum.[3][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of decrees of the plebs.[3][5]
  • c. 165 AD – Gellius defines it after Capito.[3][5]
  • 1530s – English plebiscite is recorded for Roman history.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A decree of the plebs, a plebiscite.[2][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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 d e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ 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