Etymologically
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religiose

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [rɛ.lɪ.ɡiˈoː.seː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [re.li.d͡ʒiˈɔː.s̬e][1]

Forms

religiōsē (comparative religiōsius, superlative religiōsissimē)[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin religiōsus (“religious, scrupulous”) + -ē.[2][1] De Vaan finds it uncertain whether religiō belongs with ligō “to tie”,[3] and Wiktionary gives both that verb and relegō as possible sources.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,[4] who writes of a temple of Juno that people worshipped most devoutly, and asks judges to judge strictly and conscientiously.[2]

Semantic evolution

It means with religious awe, reverently, and in keeping with religious law: Columella says that those who farm more religiously deny that the earth should be stirred with iron on certain days.[2] It also means conscientiously or scrupulously, and with careful attention: Pliny the Younger says his uncle wrote histories most scrupulously.[2] Pliny the Elder uses it of the magi's rules for buying a spleen.[5] In Medieval Latin it meant as a monk, in the manner of a religious.[6]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero, devoutly and conscientiously.[2][4]
  • 1st century AD – Columella of farming in keeping with religious rules.[2][4]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder of the magi.[5][4]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. In accordance with religious law.[2]
  2. With religious awe or devotion, reverently.[2][1]
  3. Conscientiously, scrupulously, carefully.[2][1]
  4. (Medieval Latin) As a monk.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill