provincia

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [proːˈwɪŋ.ki.a]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [proˈvin̠ʲ.t͡ʃi.a]^[1]

Forms

prōvincia f (genitive prōvinciae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

Its origin is uncertain; the OLD calls it doubtful and the TLL says little is established, the duty assigned to a magistrate being the earlier sense.^[2][3] Wiktionary suggests a noun from an adjective ⟨*prō-vinc-ios⟩ based on ⟨*prō-vinciō⟩, from vinciō “to bind”.^[1] Lewis and Short suggested a contraction of ⟨*prō-noventia⟩.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Cato, of a territory under a governor.^[2] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant the task assigned to a magistrate, originally one holding command, and in Plautus and Terence humorously any duty or charge.^[2][6] In Cicero it meant a provincial command, a governorship.^[2] From Cato it meant a territory outside Italy governed from Rome, a province, and by metonymy its people.^[2][4] In Caesar Prōvincia was Gallia Narbonensis, modern Provence.^[6][7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a church province, an archdiocese with its suffragan dioceses.^[8] Medieval Latin also used it for a diocese and for a region or country.^[9] English province came in the mid-14th century, through Old French and directly from Latin.^[7]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of a Roman province.^[2][5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a task.^[2][6][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a magistrate's command.^[2][5]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of Narbonese Gaul.^[6][5]
• mid-14th century – English province is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A magistrate's assigned task; a duty, charge.^[2]
2. A provincial command, governorship.^[2]
3. A province, a territory governed from Rome; its people.^[2]
4. (Ecclesiastical Latin) A church province; a diocese.^[8][9]

Word family

• prōvinciālis
• prōvinciātim

Related words

• English province
• English Provence

References

1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
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 Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
9. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill