Etymologically
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vicis

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈwɪ.kɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈviː.t͡ʃis][1]

Forms

vicis f (genitive vicis); third declension[1] The nominative singular and genitive plural do not occur.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *wik- (“turn”), from Proto-Indo-European *wik- (“a turn”), perhaps from a root meaning “to tie, turn”.[2] The simple forms point to a root noun, while for vicissim an i-stem is usually assumed.[2] Cognate with Old English wice, Old Norse vikja (“to bend, turn”) and German Wechsel (“change”), and perhaps with English week.[1][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus uses it.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was a turn, a recurring occasion to act, as in per vicēs “by turns”, and the place someone fills, so vice “in place of”.[3][6] It was also a lot or plight, an exchange or requital, as Virgil's exchange of words, and vice versā “with the order reversed”.[3][7] Of things, it was a succession or change of condition.[3]

It survives as Italian vece, French fois and Spanish vez.[1] Its derivatives gave English vicar and vicissitude.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil speaks of an exchange of words.[3][5]
  • c. 1300 – English vicar is recorded, from vicārius.[4]
  • mid-15th century – English vicissitude is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A turn, recurring occasion, per vicēs, in vicem, by turns.[3][6]
  2. The place or part filled by someone; a function.[3][1]
  3. A plight, lot.[3]
  4. An interchange, vice, in return, vice versā, the other way round.[3]
  5. A requital.[3]
  6. A succession; a change, vicissitude.[3][1]

Word family

  • invicem
  • vicārius
  • vicātim
  • vicissim
  • vicissitās
  • vicissitūdō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.