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secundarius

Etymology and origin of the Latin word secundarius

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Cicero
Ultimate origin
Latin (sequor)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin secundarius
English secondary

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [sɛ.kʊnˈdaː.ri.ʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [se.kunˈdaː.ri.us][1]

Forms

secundārius (feminine secundāria, neuter secundārium); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from secundus “second, following” with the suffix -ārius.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gaffiot cites Cicero's De inventione and De re publica.[4] Köbler's first source is Suetonius.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant of the second stage, grade, size or quality, secondary, second-rate, mostly as a technical term, and Columella uses it of second-quality goods.[2][6][4]

In Medieval Latin it meant a joint king and a schoolmaster's assistant.[7] British Medieval Latin used it for secondary.[8] It survives in Italian secondario and Spanish secundario, and through Old French it gave English secondary in the late 14th century.[1][3]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.[4][5]
  • c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius uses it.[5]
  • late 14th century – English secondary is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of the second grade, secondary, second-rate.[2][6]

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) A joint king; an assistant schoolmaster.[7]

Word family

  • subsecundārius

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c 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 Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ 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

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Cite this entry

“Secundarius.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/secundarius. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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