Etymologically
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rusticanus

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ruːs.tɪˈkaː.nʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [rus.tiˈkaː.nus][1]

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]

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