Etymologically
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zelosus

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [zeːˈɫoː.sʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [d͡zeˈlɔː.s̬us][1]

Forms

zēlōsus (feminine zēlōsa, neuter zēlōsum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin zēlus (“zeal; jealousy”) + -ōsus.[1][2][3] The noun comes from Ancient Greek ζῆλος (zêlos), which Etymonline says sometimes meant jealousy but more often emulation or zeal.[4]

It is the source of French jaloux, Italian geloso, Spanish celoso and Catalan gelós.[1][5] English has it twice: jealous came through Old French jalos, and zealous was taken from the Medieval Latin word itself.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler calls it a word of popular Latin and finds it first in glossaries, where Old High German ellanhaft translates it.[2] Wiktionary labels both its senses, “jealous” and “zealous”, Late Latin.[1]

Semantic evolution

The word kept both sides of zēlus: the jealous lover and the zealous servant of a cause.[1][4] Du Cange cites the life of Saint Hugh of Lincoln, who was no less zealous against other oppressors of the poor and violators of the Church's freedom, and notes that Italian geloso meant burning with love and French jaloux jealous.[5] In British Medieval Latin it means filled with ardent fervour, as in Aberdeen obituaries of Franciscan friars, and Osbern of Gloucester defines it as one who can have zeal.[3]

In English the jealous sense arrived first, about 1200, by way of Old French; the learned borrowing zealous followed in the 1520s.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 1200 – English jealous appears, from Old French jalos, from this word.[4]
  • 1520s – English zealous is borrowed from Medieval Latin.[4]
  • 1526 – An Aberdeen obituary calls a Franciscan friar devout and zealous.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (Late Latin) jealous.[1][2]
  2. (Late Latin) zealous, full of zeal, fervent.[1][2][3][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre