sodalicium

Forms

sodālicium n (genitive sodālic(i)ī); second declension^[1][2] It is also spelled sodālitium.^[3][4][5]

Etymology

It is from Latin sodālis (“companion, comrade”), the neuter of the adjective ⟨sodālicius⟩ “of companions” used as a noun.^[1][4][6] De Vaan traces sodālis to Proto-Italic *sweþāli-, a derivative of Proto-Indo-European *sue-dʰh₁- (“custom”);^[7] he lists ⟨sodālicium⟩ among its derivatives, from Lucilius on.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first use is in Lucilius,^[7][6] in a line calling for all dominia atque sodālicia to be abolished.^[1][8]

Semantic evolution

The word named a club or fraternity of people who met for religious or social purposes, as inscriptions of fullers, wool-carders and worshippers of Hercules show,^[1][2] and the Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it of a meeting or dinner of such a club.^[1][2] In the politics of the late Republic it was an organised gang for influencing elections: Cicero speaks of the Licinian law dē sodāliciīs,^[1][8] and Asconius reports that Milo was prosecuted under it as well as for bribery.^[1]

More widely it meant a close association or companionship:^[1][8] Catullus calls the bond between Caelius and Quintius frāternum vērē dulce sodālicium,^[1][8] Ovid recalls Propertius reading his poems to him iūre sodāliciī, by the right of companionship,^[1][8] and Valerius Maximus uses it of the friendship of Orestes and Pylades.^[1] Seneca uses it of the company of adulterers and Pliny the Elder of confederates in crime.^[1]

Medieval writers in Britain such as William of Malmesbury and Orderic Vitalis used it for a group or company and for partnership or fellowship.^[5] It survives in Italian sodalizio.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it for clubs.^[1][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of the law on electoral sodālicia.^[1][6]
• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of a close bond.^[1][6]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of his friendship with Propertius.^[1][6]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of confederates in crime.^[1][6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A club, fraternity or guild meeting for religious or social purposes; a meeting of such a club.^[1][2][8]
2. An organised gang for canvassing votes;^[1][2][8] lēx dē sodāliciīs, the law against such gangs.^[1][2][8]
3. A close association, companionship, partnership; a band of confederates.^[1][8]
4. (Medieval Latin) A group, company; fellowship.^[5]

Word family

• sodāliciārius

Related words

• sodālitās

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c 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
6. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier