usurarius

Forms

ūsūrārius (feminine ūsūrāria, neuter ūsūrārium); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin ūsūra (“use; interest”) + -ārius.^[2][1] De Vaan lists it, with ⟨ūsūra⟩, among the derivatives of ūtor (“to use”), which goes back to Proto-Italic *oit-e/o- (“to use”); a link with Proto-Indo-European *h₃eit- (“to take along”) is uncertain, though he finds Tichy's theory of a shift from “fetch” to “use” attractive.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has it first,^[3] in the Amphitruo, where the substitute Amphitruo leaves with Alcumena, a wife only on loan (uxore usuraria).^[2]

Semantic evolution

In Plautus it means “had for use for a while, on loan”: a boy to be got for one's use, and aera usuraria, borrowed money.^[2] Fronto still has the old sense, of a sum left to wards for their use rather than as their own.^[2] In the jurists of the Digest it means “bearing interest”, of a debt or a debtor.^[2][4]

In Medieval Latin it was used as a noun for a moneylender,^[5] and British sources use it of lending at excessive interest, and of the usurer.^[6] English usurer comes from this medieval noun, through Anglo-French.^[7] French usuraire and usurier and Italian usurario and usuraio continue it.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of people had on loan and for borrowed money.^[2][8]
• 100–170 AD – Fronto uses it of money left for use rather than ownership.^[2][8]
• before 223 AD – Ulpian uses it in the Digest of a debt bearing interest.^[2][8]
• c. 1167 – A British text speaks figuratively of an increase of virtues like interest on a loan.^[6]
• late 13th century – English borrows the noun, through Anglo-French, as usurer.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Had for use for a limited time, on loan.^[2][4]
2. (law) Of a debt, bearing interest; of a debtor, liable to pay interest.^[2][4]
3. (Medieval Latin) Usurious, of lending at excessive interest.^[6]

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A moneylender, a usurer.^[5][6]

Related words

• ūsūra
• ūtor
• English usurer

Usage notes

Lewis and Short treat the first sense as equal to ūsuārius.^[4]

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de