singularius

Forms

singulārius (feminine singulāria, neuter singulārium); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin singulī (“one each, single”) + -ārius.^[1][2] Lewis & Short and Georges derive it instead from singulāris (“single, singular”).^[3][4] De Vaan traces singulī to Proto-Italic *sem-g-(lo-) and Proto-Indo-European *s(e)m-gʰ- (“single”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus uses it in the Captivi for single chains, to be put on in place of the larger ones by which the captives are joined.^[1][4]

Semantic evolution

The Plautine chains have been explained as fetters for one person each, not coupling two,^[4][5] or as chains of a single ply, or light ones.^[3][6] Turpilius uses the word of a person of a unique and peculiar nature.^[1][3] Lewis & Short call it the ante- and post-classical form of the Classical singulāris.^[3] Gellius uses litterae singulāriae for abbreviations^[3][4] and speaks of men of exceptional speed.^[1] Inscriptions have equitēs singulāriī, which Georges and Gaffiot refer to the entry for singulāris.^[4][6]

Du Cange records it as a noun for a monk, from an agreement of 1351 between an abbot and his monks.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus speaks of single chains.^[1][8]
• 2nd century BC – Turpilius uses it of a unique nature.^[1][8]
• c. 165 AD – Gellius uses it for abbreviations and of exceptional speed.^[1][3][8]
• 1351 – An agreement between an abbot and his monks uses it as a noun for a monk.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Standing alone, single, separate.^[1][5]
2. Unique, of its own kind.^[1][3]
3. Remarkable, exceptional.^[1][4]
4. litterae singulāriae: abbreviations.^[3][4]

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A monk.^[7]

Related words

• singulāris

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d e f g Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
8. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de