Etymologically
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proprius

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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

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