Etymologically
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populariter

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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