Etymologically
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proprietas

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [prɔˈpri.ɛ.taːs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [proˈpriː.e.tas][1]

Forms

proprietās f (genitive proprietātis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin proprius (“one's own, peculiar”) + -tās.[2][1][3] De Vaan finds most likely Forssman's derivation of proprius from Proto-Indo-European *priH-o- (“own, dear”), through a verb with the prefix prō-, the root of Sanskrit प्रिय (priyá, “dear, own”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero.[5] Cicero lists the notion, the special property and the division of a thing among the means of defining it.[2]

Semantic evolution

It is the special property or character of a thing: Cicero speaks of each thing having its own properties, and Livy of the peculiar nature of a land and climate.[6] Vitruvius uses it of a special kind of region and of fitness or proper measure in building, and Quintilian of the proper meaning of a word and of propriety in the use of words.[2] In law it is ownership, especially bare ownership without the usufruct: Seneca writes that power over everything belongs to the king, ownership to individuals.[2][1] In medieval Latin it is an estate held in full ownership, any landed estate, wealth, and also servile status and the office proper to a saint's feast.[7] Church Latin glosses it ownership, property, peculiarity, quality.[8] English propriety and property both come from it through Old French.[9]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of the special property of a thing.[2][6][5]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of the nature of a land.[6][5]
  • c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius of fitness in building.[2][5]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca of ownership.[2][5]
  • medieval – An estate held in full ownership.[7]
  • early 15th century – English propriety, through Old French.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A special property, quality, peculiar character of a thing; a special kind.[2][6][1][8]
  2. The proper meaning of a word; a special designation.[2]
  3. Fitness, rightness; propriety in the use of words.[2]
  4. Ownership; in law, bare ownership without the usufruct.[2][1][8]
  5. (Medieval Latin) An estate held in full ownership; any estate; wealth, property.[7][1]
  6. (Medieval Latin) The office proper to a saint's feast.[7][1]

Word family

  • proprietārius
  • proprius
  • English property
  • English propriety

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  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 e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com