relativus

Forms

relātīvus (feminine relātīva, neuter relātīvum, adverb relātīvē); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin referō (“to bring back, refer”), formed with -īvus,^[1] on the participle relātus;^[2] the TLL derives it from relātiō (“relation”).^[3] De Vaan reconstructs the participle as Proto-Italic *tlāto-, from Proto-Indo-European *tlh₂-to- (“lifted”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Arnobius (297–310 AD) on, meaning “having reference to something”.^[5][3][6][7] Conte labels it Late Latin.^[6]

Semantic evolution

Augustine used it in the De Trinitate for terms said in relation to something, and its adverb in vicinus et amicus relative dicuntur, “neighbour and friend are said relatively”.^[5] Boethius explains that relative terms are so called because their name always refers to something.^[3] The grammarians used it of pronouns that refer back: Diomedes of demonstratives, Priscian of the relative pronoun.^[6][3]

In medieval Latin it also meant reciprocal, mutual or corresponding, it was used in mathematics and music, and its neuter named the relative pronoun;^[8] Alcuin uses it in theology of what is said of the Father.^[8] Thomas Aquinas treats it as a synonym of relatus and respectivus and the opposite of absolutus.^[9] Niermeyer records relativus and relativa as nouns for a son and a daughter.^[10] English borrowed it in the late 14th century, through Old French, first as a grammatical term for a relative pronoun.^[2]

Timeline

• 297–310 AD – Arnobius uses it.^[5][7]
• 354–430 AD – Augustine uses it and its adverb in the De Trinitate.^[5][7]
• 2nd half of 4th century AD – Diomedes uses it of demonstrative pronouns.^[6][7]
• 6th century AD – Priscian uses it of the relative pronoun.^[6][7]
• 2nd half of 8th century – Alcuin uses it in theology.^[8][7]
• late 14th century – Borrowed into English as relative.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Having reference or relation to something, relative, not absolute.^[5][9][11]
2. (grammar) Referring back: of demonstrative pronouns and of the relative pronoun.^[6][3][5]
3. (Medieval Latin) Reciprocal, mutual; corresponding.^[8]
4. (Medieval Latin, as a noun) relativus, relativa: a son, a daughter.^[10]
5. (Medieval Latin, neuter as a noun) A relative pronoun.^[8]

Related words

• relātiō
• referō
• English relative

Usage notes

The adverb is relātīvē, “relatively”, used by Augustine.^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c d e Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d e f Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ a b c d e Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
9. ^ a b Schütz, Ludwig (1895), Thomas-Lexikon, 2nd ed., Paderborn: F. Schöningh
10. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
11. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson