subiunctivus

Forms

subiūnctīvus (feminine subiūnctīva, neuter subiūnctīvum); first/second-declension adjective^[1] It is also spelled subjūnctīvus.^[1][2]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin subiungō (“to subjoin, subordinate”) + -īvus,^[1][3] a calque from Ancient Greek ὑποτακτικός (hupotaktikós).^[1] Etymonline also takes the Latin name of the mood to be probably a loan translation of the Greek grammatical term by Roman grammarians.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first record is the grammarian Charisius (about 362 AD),^[5] who calls conjunctions such as si and cum subiunctivae, “subjoining”, because they introduce a dependent clause.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

It is a term of the late grammarians: Diomedes and Priscian name the subjunctive mood modus subiunctivus,^[3][2] and Priscian also calls subiunctivae the vowels that can follow other vowels.^[6][2] Its general sense is “serving to join, connecting”.^[2][3] In British Medieval Latin it meant “subjoined, dependent”, and as a noun, or with articulus, the relative pronoun.^[7] English subjunctive (adjective 1520s, noun 1620s) comes from it.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 362 AD – Charisius calls subordinating conjunctions subiunctivae.^[6][5]
• 2nd half of the 4th century AD – Diomedes uses modus subiunctivus for the subjunctive mood.^[3][5]
• 6th century AD – Priscian uses it of the mood and of vowels.^[3][5]
• c. 1000 – Ælfric glosses subiunctivum as the relative pronoun.^[7][5]
• 1520s – English has the adjective subjunctive.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Serving to join, connective.^[2][3]
2. (Late Latin, grammar) Subjunctive: modus subiūnctīvus, the subjunctive mood.^[2][3]
3. (Late Latin, grammar) Of a conjunction: introducing a subordinate clause.^[6]
4. (Late Latin, grammar) Of a vowel: able to follow another vowel.^[6]
5. (Medieval Latin, grammar) Dependent; as a noun, the relative pronoun.^[7]

Related words

• English subjunctive

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d e Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ 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