populariter

Forms

populāriter (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin populāris (“of the people”) + -ter.^[2][3] The adjective is formed from populus¹ (“people”), which goes back to Proto-Italic *poplo- (“army”); de Vaan calls its further etymology unknown.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler records it first in Cicero,^[5] who says in the De re publica that people commonly measure the year by the return of the sun alone.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Its two classical senses are both Ciceronian: as ordinary people do, especially in everyday rather than technical language (populariter interdum loqui necesse erit, “at times one will have to speak in the common way”), and in a manner meant to win popular favour, as when Cicero is accused of playing to the crowd and stirring up ill will by bringing forward a boy.^[2][6] Arnobius uses it of children brought up in a commonplace way.^[7] Medieval British writers used it of something involving a whole population and of what was popularly known among the common people.^[8]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of everyday language and of courting popular favour.^[2][5]
• 297–310 AD – Arnobius uses it of a common upbringing.^[7][5]
• 893 – Asser uses it of the Saxons worn down as a whole people in battle.^[8][5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. As ordinary people do, commonly; in everyday language.^[2][7]
2. So as to win popular favour, demagogically.^[2][3]
3. (Medieval Latin) Involving the whole population; popularly.^[8]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
8. ^ a b c 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