Etymologically
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plevium

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Forms

plevium n (genitive plevii); second declension[1][2] Niermeyer also lists the spellings plivium, pluvium, plebium and plegium.[1] Köbler adds pleggium and pligium.[2] The Lex Salica has plebium, with the manuscript variants plibium, plevium and plebeium.[3]

Etymology

It is probably borrowed from Frankish *plegan (“to guarantee”), the source Etymonline gives for the form ⟨plegium⟩.[4] The TLL also takes it to be Germanic: scholars compare Old Saxon plegan (“to vouch for, take on oneself”) and German pflegen, but they have trouble explaining the ⟨b⟩ or ⟨v⟩ of the Latin word, which may have been changed under the influence of praebeō.[3] Köbler compares Proto-Germanic *plegō (“care”), with a question mark.[2] Niermeyer marks it as Germanic.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLL's first record is the Lex Salica, which rules that an accused slave be brought ad plebium or his price be paid back to his master; the TLL takes the word there to mean a pledge or security.[3]

Semantic evolution

In early medieval law it meant liability and the duty that goes with it, then a pledge or security, bail given by a guarantor, a pawn, and the state of having someone to answer for one.[1] Köbler finds it in the Lex Salica and in the capitularies,[2][5] and an Old English gloss renders it with borg, “pledge”.[2] Through Old French plege and the Anglo-Latin form plegium the same Germanic word gave English pledge.[4]

Timeline

  • 3rd quarter of the 8th century – The Lex Salica, in Köbler's dating, uses it for a pledge or security.[2][3]
  • mid-14th century – English pledge “surety, bail”, from the same Germanic source, is first recorded.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin, law) Liability, responsibility.[1][2]
  2. A duty, obligation.[1]
  3. A pledge, security.[1][3]
  4. Bail given by a guarantor.[1]
  5. A pawn.[1]
  6. The condition of having someone to stand bail.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  3. ^ a b c d e Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Liber exquisiti xenii: Lexikon frühmittelalterlicher Rechtswörter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de