Etymologically
Log in

populor

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 08:57. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

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

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