Etymologically
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publicus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈpuː.blɪ.kʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpuː.bli.kus][1]

Forms

pūblicus (feminine pūblica, neuter pūblicum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It comes from Old Latin poplicus, from populus “people”, from Proto-Italic *poplo- (“army”), whose origin is unknown.[2][1][3] The change of /op/ to /ūb/ is explained by association with pūbēs “adult men”; de Vaan notes that the long /ū/ cannot come from *poplo- itself.[3][2][1]

Inscriptions also have the spelling poblicus.[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards,[5] who asks whether a man is a private slave or a public one.[3] An early inscription records rites of “Fortuna Publica”.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant belonging to the people as a body, of the state, as res publica, and official or provided by the state, as Plautus' “with public authority”.[3] It meant affecting the whole community, as Cicero's public mourning, and open to all, as Plautus' “no one forbids anyone to walk on a public road”.[3]

From this it meant common to all or universal, as Horace's “public material will become your private property”.[3] As a noun publicus was a public slave or a public official.[3][1] English public came from it in the late 14th century.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of public slaves and roads.[3][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of public mourning.[3][5]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses it in the sense “common to all”.[3][5]
  • late 14th century – English public is recorded.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of the people, of the state, public.[3][1]
  2. Official, provided by the state.[3]
  3. Affecting the whole community.[3]
  4. Open to all, public.[3][1]
  5. Common to all, universal.[3]

Noun

  1. A public slave; a public official.[3][1]

Word family

  • pūblicānus
  • publicarius
  • pūblica
  • pūblicō
  • pūblicum
  • rēspūblica
  • pūblicē

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com