proprius

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈprɔ.pri.ʊs], [ˈprɔp.ri.ʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈprɔː.pri.us], [ˈprɔp.ri.us]^[1]

Forms

proprius (feminine propria, neuter proprium); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

Following Forssman, de Vaan explains it from a verb *propriāre (“to make one's own”), built on inherited from Proto-Italic *prijo- (“own, dear”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *priH-o- (“own, dear”), with the prefix prō-.^[2][3] The OLD and Lewis & Short call it of doubtful origin.^[4][5]

Cognate with Sanskrit प्रिय (priyá, “dear, own”), Welsh rhydd (“free”) and Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃 (freis, “free”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards.^[2] A Plautine character asks why what he wants cannot be his own for good.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant one's own for good, belonging to oneself, and in the neuter one's own property.^[4] It meant one's own alone, personal and private, as in Sallust's virtue as the one thing proper to mortals, and peculiar to someone.^[4][5]

It also meant suitable, special to one case, belonging to a person's task, and of words, specific, as names which refer to particular things in Varro.^[4] In medieval Latin homo proprius was a serf or a dependant, and proprio iure meant in full ownership.^[6] English proper came from it through Old French around 1300.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of what is one's own.^[4][8]
• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of specific words and names.^[4][8]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of arguments proper to a case.^[4][8]
• c. 1300 – English proper is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. One's own permanently.^[4]
2. One's own, (neuter noun) one's property.^[4][1]
3. Personal, private, exclusive.^[4][1]
4. Peculiar (to), characteristic.^[4][1]
5. Suitable, appropriate.^[4]
6. Special, particular to one case.^[4][1]
7. (of words) Literal, specific.^[4][1]
8. (Medieval Latin) homo proprius: a serf, a dependant.^[6]

Word family

• improprius
• proprietās
• propriō
• proprītim
• propriē

Related words

• pecūliāris
• prīvātus
• suus
• English proper
• English property

Usage notes

Döderlein separates privus, one's own as opposed to another's, proprius, what is exclusively one's own as opposed to common, and peculiaris, what is especially one's own.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
9. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper