separ

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈseː.paːr]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsɛː.par]^[1]

Forms

sēpār (genitive sēparis); third-declension one-termination adjective^[1] Only the ablative singular sēpare is found in quotations.^[2][3]

Etymology

Wiktionary and Etymonline take it as a back-formation from sēparō “to separate”, and the OLD analyses it as sē- “apart” and pār “equal”.^[1][4][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gaffiot and Köbler cite Valerius Flaccus, of the late 1st century AD.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

It meant distinct, separate, different, a post-Augustan, mostly poetic word, as in Valerius Flaccus and Statius.^[2][3][5]

British Medieval Latin used it for distinct, separate.^[7] Its Medieval Latin derivative sēparālis “separable” gave Anglo-French several and English several in the early 15th century, first “existing apart”.^[4]

Timeline

• late 1st century AD – Valerius Flaccus uses it.^[5][6]
• c. 45–96 AD – Statius uses it.^[5][6]
• early 15th century – English several is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Separate, distinct, different.^[2][3]

Related words

• sēparō
• pār
• English several

References

1. ^ a b c d 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
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