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popularis

Etymology and origin of the Latin word popularis

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Naevius
Ultimate origin
Latin (populus)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin populus
Latin popularis
English popular

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [pɔ.pʊˈɫaː.rɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [po.puˈlaː.ris][1]

Forms

populāris (neuter populāre, adverb populāriter); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin populus (“people”) + -āris.[2][1] De Vaan reconstructs populus as *poplo- (“army”), of uncertain further origin.[3] Plautus has a syncopated poplāris.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Naevius (c. 235–200 BC).[5] Plautus mentions a “public dinner”.[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant of or by the whole people, as Cicero's consulship gained by an incredible popular will, and open to the community, public.[2] In politics it meant of the common people as opposed to the senate, and supporting the people's interests, populares were the party opposed to the optimates.[2][1]

It meant intended to win the public, and liked by the people, popular, as Cicero's man popular for his very severity.[2] It also meant common, as Cato's ordinary salt, and of one's own country, native, as Horace's girls of Sappho's town.[2] As a noun it meant a fellow citizen.[2] In medieval Latin it meant populous, much visited, lay and of a parish.[6] English popular was borrowed in the early 15th century, first meaning “public, commonly known”.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.[5]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a public dinner.[2][5]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of ordinary salt.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the popular will and the popular party.[2][5]
  • early 15th century – English popular is borrowed.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of the whole people, popular.[2][1]
  2. Public, open to all.[2]
  3. Of the common people (as opposed to the senate).[2][1]
  4. Of the popular party, democratic.[2][1]
  5. Liked by the people.[2][1]
  6. Common, ordinary.[2][1]
  7. Of one's own country, native.[2][1]
  8. (Medieval Latin) Populous; lay; of a parish.[6]

Noun

  1. A fellow citizen, compatriot.[2][1]
  2. (plural) The popular party.[2][1]

Word family

  • populāritās
  • populāriter

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s 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. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  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

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Popularis.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/popularis. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·