superius

Forms

superius (adverb; comparative in form)^[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin superior (“higher”), whose neuter is used as an adverb.^[1][3][2] Georges and Conte also treat it as the comparative of suprā (“above”).^[3][2] De Vaan derives the comparative from Proto-Italic *super-jōs- (“higher”), formed from *(h1)uper(i) (“over, above”), and compares Sanskrit उपरि (upári, “above, over”) and Ancient Greek ὑπέρ (hupér, “over, above”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Among the earliest authors the OLD cites for the adverb are the Bellum Hispaniense and Phaedrus, who use it for “above”, earlier in a text: Phaedrus says dīxī superius, “I said above”.^[1][2]

Semantic evolution

The adverb means “higher up, upwards”, as in Seneca's Natural Questions, where some particles are carried higher than others,^[1][2] and “earlier, above” in a text or narrative, a use found in the Bellum Hispaniense, Phaedrus, Scribonius Largus, Tacitus and the jurist Gaius.^[1][2]

In Medieval Latin the sense “above in a text, previously” was common.^[5] Writers in Britain also used it for “upwards”, for “further upstream” or “further inland”: Bede writes of planets that wander now lower, now higher, and another text of an army that went further into France.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 15 BC–c. 50 AD – Phaedrus writes dīxī superius, “I said above”.^[1][2][7]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it for “higher up”.^[2][7]
• c. 47 AD – Scribonius Largus uses it of things mentioned above.^[1][7]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it in the Histories.^[1][7]
• 1st third of the 8th century AD – Bede uses it of planets moving higher.^[6][7]

Meanings

Adverb

1. To a higher level, upwards, higher up.^[1][2][6]
2. Earlier in a narrative or text, above, previously.^[1][5]
3. (Medieval Latin) Further upstream, further inland.^[6]

Related words

• superior
• superus
• suprā
• īnferius¹

Usage notes

Superius is also the neuter of the adjective superior.^[8][9][2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ a b c d 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
7. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
9. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.