Etymologically
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rhythmus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈrʰytʰ.mʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈrit.mus][1]

Forms

rhythmus m (genitive rhythmī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ῥυθμός (rhuthmós, “measured motion, rhythm”).[2][1][3] Köbler compares Proto-Indo-European *srew- (“to flow”).[4] It is also spelled ⟨rythmus⟩ and ⟨rhythmos⟩.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Varro, whom he dates 116–27 BC.[4][5]

Semantic evolution

It meant a sequence of sounds forming a pattern, rhythm, regular movement, cadence, as in Varro, and specially prose rhythm as opposed to metre, as in Quintilian.[2][5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant rhythm.[6] Medieval Latin used it for a poem, rhythmical verse.[7] It was borrowed as Italian ritmo and French rythme, and through Old French rime it gave Middle English rime “measure, rhyme”, respelled English rhyme and English rhythm in the 16th century.[1][3]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of rhythm.[5][4]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of prose rhythm.[5][4]
  • c. 1200 – Middle English rime is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Rhythm; prose rhythm.[2]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A rhythmical poem.[7]
  • English rhythm
  • English rhyme

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill