thesaurus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [tʰeːˈsau̯.rʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [teˈs̬aːu̯.rus]^[1]

Forms

thēsaurus m (genitive thēsaurī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek θησαυρός (thēsaurós, “treasure, storehouse”).^[2][3][1] Etymonline reports two views of the Greek word: Watkins connects it with a reduplicated form of Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put”), while Beekes takes it as a technical loanword.^[4] The older Latin spelling is thēnsaurus, with an inserted /n/.^[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus uses it of a slave who carries all his treasure on his back, and of a treasure of gold.^[2][5] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It was a store or hoard of precious things, often buried or hidden, and also the place where valuables were kept, a treasure chamber or vault.^[2][7] Plautus uses it figuratively for a great store of something, and a pimp in the Curculio calls a person thensaurus meus “my treasure”.^[7] An inscription names a keeper of the treasuries, and Petronius has a neuter form thesaurum.^[8][2]

In medieval Latin it was ready money and the royal right to treasure found, treasure trove.^[9][6] British writers used it of a storehouse or repository of knowledge.^[10] English thesaurus is recorded in 1823 as “treasury, storehouse”.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of treasure.^[2][6]
• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of the treasuries of the gods.^[2][6]
• before 66 AD – Petronius uses the neuter thesaurum.^[2][6]
• 1823 – Borrowed into English as thesaurus.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A store, hoard, treasure.^[2][8]
2. A treasure chamber, vault, chest.^[2][1]
3. A great store; a dear person, darling.^[7][1]
4. (Medieval Latin) Ready money; the right to treasure trove.^[9]
5. (Medieval Latin) A repository, collection.^[10][1]

Word family

• thēsaurārius
• thēsaurensis
• thēsaurizātor
• thēsaurizō

Related words

• English thesaurus
• English treasure

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ Saalfeld, Günther Alexander (1874), Index Graecorum vocabulorum in linguam latinam translatorum, Berlin: Weidmann
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
9. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
10. ^ a b 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