legio Latin · revision 17802

18 Oct 2026, 18:47 by bogdan “Latin la10k: liceo, igitur, legio, ullus, post, vel, deinde”
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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 235–200 BC, Naevius|origins=la legō}}
+ 
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈɫɛ.ɡi.oː]^(Wiktionary)
+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈlɛː.d͡ʒi.o]^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Forms==
+ '''legiō''' ''f'' (genitive legiōnis); third declension^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is [[af|la|legō|-iō|t1=to choose, gather]], “a choosing, a levy”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) Varro explains it in this way: the soldiers are “chosen” (⟨leguntur⟩) in the levy.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL) An early inscription spells it ⟨lecio⟩.^(OLD 2012)
+ 
+ Compare [[osc|leginum|t=legion]].^(TLL)
+ 
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ It is found from Naevius on;^(Köbler 2010) Plautus has ''is nunc Amphitruō praefectust legiōnibus'' “Amphitryon is now in command of the legions”.^(OLD 2012)
+ 
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ ''Legiō'' was the largest unit of the Roman army, of about 4,200 to 6,000 foot soldiers with a body of cavalry, divided into ten cohorts.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It also meant any large army, the army as a place of service, and figuratively a body of supporters or a great number (“an army of”).^(OLD 2012)
+ 
+ In Medieval Latin it named an army section, sometimes of a thousand horsemen, and in Medieval and New Latin the kingdom of León in Spain.^(Niermeyer 1976)^(Wiktionary) English took it about 1200 as [[m|en|legion]], through Old French.^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Timeline==
+ * c. 235–200 BC – First found in Naevius.^(Köbler 2010)
+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for an army.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 116–27 BC – Varro derives it from ''legere'' “to choose”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * c. 1200 – Borrowed into English as [[m|en|legion]].^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Noun===
+ # A [[m|en|legion]] (the largest unit of the Roman army).^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)
+ # An army, a host.^(OLD 2012)
+ # The army, military service.^(OLD 2012)
+ # ''(figurative)'' A body of supporters; a great number.^(OLD 2012)
+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A division of an army, sometimes of a thousand horsemen.^(Niermeyer 1976)
+ 
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[legō]]
+ * [[en|legion]]
+ 
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}