Etymologically
Log in

plurimus

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 19:13. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈpɫuː.rɪ.mʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpluː.ri.mus][1]

Forms

plūrimus (feminine plūrima, neuter plūrimum); first/second-declension adjective[1] Also plūrumus; early forms are ploirume (CIL), plusima (the Salian hymn) and plouruma.[2]

Etymology

It is the superlative of plūs “more”, serving for multus “much”, inherited from Proto-Italic *ploisamo-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁-ist(h₂)o-, from *pelh₁- (“to fill”).[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant most numerous, the greatest number of, as in Plautus; in the singular very many a, as in Cicero; most frequent, as in Propertius; the greatest amount or degree, most, and as a neuter noun the most possible, plūrimum, as in Plautus; very large, as in Virgil; and most richly supplied, as in Pliny.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant most, very many, very great, and quam plūrimī “as many as possible”.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of very many.[2][4]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of size.[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Most, most numerous; very many.[2]
  2. Most frequent.[2]
  3. Greatest; very large.[2]

Word family

  • complūrimī

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson