rusticanus

Forms

rūsticānus (feminine rūsticāna, neuter rūsticānum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin rūsticus (“of the country, rustic”) + -ānus.^[2][1] Its base is rūs (“the country”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest quotation is from Caecilius Statius, who sets a town way of life against a vita rusticana, a country one.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Cicero uses it often of people from the country towns, homines rusticani ex municipiis, and of the frugal ways of country folk, rusticana illa atque inculta parsimonia.^[2][4] It often hints at awkwardness or lack of learning, and of speech it means provincial: in the De oratore Lucius Cotta thinks his speech will sound old-fashioned if it is quite rustic.^[2][4] Fronto praises Novius for his rustic and joking words.^[2] Georges distinguishes vita rusticana, mere residence in the country, from rustica vita, country life with all its work.^[5]

In Late Latin Jerome has a rusticanum tugurium, a peasant's hut,^[4][6] and as a noun it means a countryman, in Eutropius in the plural and in Augustine in the singular.^[5][6] Medieval writers in Britain use it of country work and tools and of peasant or boorish behaviour.^[7]

Timeline

• 230/220–168 BC – Caecilius Statius uses it of a country way of life.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of people from the country towns.^[2][4][3]
• c. 370 AD – Eutropius uses the plural rusticani as a noun, “peasants”.^[5][6][3]
• 354–430 AD – Augustine uses the singular as a noun.^[5][3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Living in or coming from the country, rustic, often with a suggestion of awkwardness or ignorance.^[2][4]
2. Used by or typical of country people; of speech, provincial.^[2]

Noun

1. A countryman, peasant.^[2][5][6]

Related words

• rūs

Usage notes

Döderlein notes that Cicero chooses rusticanus when he wants a milder word than rūsticus: the rusticus actually lives in a village, while the rusticanus only resembles those who do.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ 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
8. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper