socialis

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [sɔ.kiˈaː.lɪs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [so.t͡ʃiˈaː.lis]^[1]

Forms

sociālis (neuter sociāle, adverb sociāliter); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin socius (“companion, ally”) + -ālis.^[2][1] Wiktionary traces socius to Proto-Indo-European *sokʷyós, from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to follow”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cicero, in the speech against Caecilius, calls the extortion law a law for the allies.^[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant of or relating to allies, and bellum sociāle was the Social War between Rome and her Italian allies, 91–88 BC.^[2][4] Ovid uses it of marriage partners, conjugal, as the rights of the marriage bed and a wedding song.^[2][5] Seneca uses it of partners and calls man a sociāle animal, a social animal born for the common good.^[2][4] Lewis & Short note that the sense of companionable is not found before the Augustan age.^[6]

In medieval British Latin it meant of society, sociable.^[7] English social is recorded in the early 15th century, and as “living with others” since the 1560s.^[8]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a law for the allies.^[2][3]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of marriage.^[2][3]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca calls man a social animal.^[2][3]
• early 15th century – English social is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of partners; living with others, social.^[2][4]
2. Of allies, allied, bellum sociāle the Social War.^[2][6]
3. Of marriage, conjugal.^[2][5]

Word family

• insocialis
• sociālitās
• sociāliter

Related words

• socia
• sociābilis
• sociātiō
• sociātrīx
• sociennus
• societās
• sociō
• sociofraudus
• socius
• English social
• English society

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
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. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com