populor

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈpɔ.pʊ.ɫɔr]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpɔː.pu.lor]^[1]

Forms

populor (present infinitive populārī, perfect active populātus sum); first conjugation, deponent^[1]

Etymology

It is from populus “people, army”, but the development of meaning is uncertain.^[2][1] De Vaan suggests an earlier sense “to have an army pass through”, as Germanic *harjōną “to harry” from *harjaz “army”.^[1] Lewis and Short explain it as spreading over a region in a multitude.^[3] An active form ⟨populō⟩ also occurs.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Naevius, of ravaging lands.^[2] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to ravage, plunder, lay waste lands, as Caesar's and Cicero's devastation of territory, and of animals to ravage crops, as in Columella.^[2][4] Of things it meant to cause great damage, devastate, as Ovid's and Virgil's destruction, and in Pliny the Elder to despoil, strip.^[2][4] Döderlein says vāstō is to lay waste out of rage or policy, while populārī is to plunder.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it of ravaging lands.^[2][5]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of laying waste.^[4][5]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of devastation.^[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To ravage, plunder, lay waste.^[2]
2. To devastate, damage.^[2]
3. To despoil, strip.^[2]

Word family

• dēpopulor
• populābundus

Related words

• populus
• populātiō
• vāstō

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper