publicum

Forms

pūblicum n (genitive pūblicī); second declension^[1] The Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus has the old ablative poplicod, “in public”.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is the neuter of pūblicus (“of the people, public”), used as a noun.^[2][1] De Vaan explains that the adjective was originally ⟨*popliko-⟩, formed from populus (“people”), as the Old Latin spellings ⟨poplicod⟩ and ⟨poblicai⟩ show; its ⟨ū⟩ came from pūbēs (“adult”), with which it was later associated.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, Trinummus, of people who hold everything alike, sacrum profānum, pūblicum prīvātum, “sacred and profane, public and private”.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Pūblicum is public property, with in pūblicum “into public ownership”, public land, and in pūblicō “in state custody” (Cicero).^[2] It is the public purse (Plautus: rapere cupiō pūblicum, “I want to rob the treasury”), state revenue, and the farming of taxes and public works under contract.^[2][1] It also means the public interest and, in the plural, public affairs (Seneca).^[2] As the parts of a town open to all, it gives in pūblicō “in public, in the open”: Cicero says Clodius stayed out of the senate and out of public places.^[2] Wiktionary adds the public road, the public at large and the commonwealth;^[1] Köbler records it again in Gregory of Tours.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of public property and the public purse.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero: in pūblicō of custody and of public places.^[2][4]
• 538/539–594 AD – Gregory of Tours uses it.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. Public property, state property; public land.^[2][1]
2. The public purse, treasury; state revenue.^[2][1]
3. The public interest;^[2] (plural) public affairs.^[2]
4. A contract for collecting taxes or doing public works.^[2]
5. Public places;^[2][1] in pūblicō, in public; a public road.^[2][1]
6. The public; publicity; the commonwealth.^[2][1]

Related words

• pūblicē
• pūblicus
• populus

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 l m n o p q Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de