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vicinus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word vicinus

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*weyḱ-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin vicus
Latin vicinus

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [wiːˈkiː.nʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [viˈt͡ʃiː.nus][1]

Forms

vīcīnus (feminine vīcīna, neuter vīcīnum, comparative vīcīnior, adverb vīcīnē); first/second-declension adjective[1] Inscriptions have the old spelling veicinei.[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin vīcus (“village, quarter”) + -īnus.[2][1] De Vaan derives ⟨vīcus⟩ from Proto-Italic *weik-o- (“settlement”), Proto-Indo-European *weyḱ- (“settlement”), cognate with Ancient Greek οἶκος (oîkos, “house”) and Sanskrit विश् (víś-, “settlement”).[3] Wiktionary compares the parallel Lithuanian ⟨kaimynas⟩ “neighbour” from ⟨kaimas⟩ “village”.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Plautus, of a neighbour.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

As a noun it meant a neighbour, as in Plautus.[2] As an adjective it meant living nearby, neighbouring, as in Livy; situated close at hand, as in Lucretius; near in time, as in Seneca; and closely related, similar, as in Celsus.[2][5]

Medieval Latin used the plural vīcīnī for the inhabitants of one village or district.[6] Old French voisin “neighbour” is from it.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a neighbour.[2][4]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of things close at hand.[2][4]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of neighbouring peoples.[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Living nearby, neighbouring.[2][7]
  2. Situated close at hand, near.[2]
  3. Near in time, imminent.[2]
  4. Closely related, similar.[2]

Noun

  1. A neighbour.[2]
  2. (Medieval Latin, plural) The inhabitants of one village.[6]
  • vīcus
  • vīcīnia
  • vīcīnitās
  • English vicinity

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 k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ 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 e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Vicinus.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/vicinus. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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