res Latin · revision 2755

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 450 BC, Twelve Tables|origins=ine-pro *Hreh₁-i-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈreːs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈrɛs]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''rēs''' ''f'' (genitive reī); fifth declension^(Wiktionary)

+ The genitive and dative ''reī'' scan with a long or short ''e'', and Lucilius and inscriptions have ''re'' for both.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*rē-]], [[inh|ine-pro|*Hreh₁-i-|t=wealth, goods]], an i-stem whose nominative *reh₁ís would regularly have given *rīs; the Latin paradigm was rebuilt on the dative [[m|la|reī]] and a new stem *rēj-, from which the accusative [[m|la|rem]] and then the nominative were formed.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) De Vaan connects the root with the Indo-Iranian aorist *rā-s- “to bestow”, and the TLL with a root *reh₁- “to give”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(TLL) Cognate with [[xum|ri|t=thing, interest]], [[sa|रयि|tr=rayí-|t=property, goods]] and [[ae|raii-|t=wealth]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) Lewis and Short, with the etymology still doubtful to them, suggested the root of [[reor]] “to think”, by analogy with [[de|Ding|t=thing]] and [[de|denken|t=to think]].^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is attested from the Twelve Tables,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) which speak of matters judged by law (''rebus iure iudicatis'');^(OLD 2012) Ennius uses it of [[m|en|property]] reclaimed by the sword, and Plautus says that property finds friends.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its oldest sense, property or wealth, survives in ''res familiaris'' and in the divorce formula ''tibi res tuas habeas'', “take your things”, and in the lawyers' ''actio in rem''.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL) From there it became the most general word for a thing, whether an object or an abstraction, so that ''rerum natura'' is the physical world and ''res'' as opposed to ''verba'' the fact behind the word, while ''re'', ''re vera'' and ''reapse'' meant “in reality”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ It also meant a deed (''res gestae'', exploits, hence history), a field of activity (''res militaris''), a rite (''res divina''), sexual intercourse (''res Veneris''), the subject matter of a speech, an affair or business (''res est mihi cum'', I have to do with), a lawsuit (''res capitalis''), a purpose (''ad rem pertinere'', to be relevant), one's interest (''in rem esse''), affairs in general (''res humanae''), supreme power (''rerum potiri''), revolution (''res novae''), the state (''res Romana'', and the compound [[respublica|alt=rēs pūblica]]), and a situation or outcome (''res secundae'', ''res adversae'').^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ Medieval charters use it for an estate, and ''res publica'' for the fisc, the Byzantine Empire or the Papal State.^(Niermeyer 1976)^(Köbler 2010) It survives as French ''rien'' “nothing”, from the accusative ''rem'', and as Spanish ''res'' and Portuguese ''rês'' “head of cattle”,^(Wiktionary) and English keeps it in legal and learned phrases, ''in re'', ''res judicata'' and the [[m|en|rebus]] (c. 1600).^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables speak of matters judged by law.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of property and of the state, ''restituit rem''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of property, of a business and of a situation.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius writes ''De rerum natura''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero opposes ''res'' to ''verba'' and uses ''res publica'' throughout.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 696 – A charter uses it of an estate.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 1600 – [[en|rebus|alt=Rebus]] is borrowed into English.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|property|alt=Property]], wealth, and in the plural goods, possessions, or a supply of something.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # A thing, an object, any entity concrete or abstract, and in the plural the physical world.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # The thing or fact as opposed to the word, reality, as in ''re'', in fact.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A deed, an act, and in the plural exploits, history.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Activity in a field, or a rite, as in ''res Veneris'', sexual intercourse.^(OLD 2012)

+ # The subject matter of speech or writing.^(OLD 2012)

+ # An affair, business; a matter at issue, a [[m|en|lawsuit]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # A purpose, or a concern or interest, the latter in the phrase ''in rem esse'', to be of advantage.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(plural)'' Affairs, public business, human affairs, supreme power, and ''res novae'', revolution.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # The state, the body politic, as in ''res publica'', the commonwealth.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # The state of affairs, a situation; an event; a factor.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' An estate, and ''res publica'', the fisc, the Byzantine Empire or the Papal State.^(Niermeyer 1976)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[rēcula]]

+ * [[rēfert]]

+ * [[rēspūblica]]

+ * [[rescula]]

+ * [[eccerē]]

+ * [[quārē]]

+ * [[rē]]

+ * [[reālis]]

+ * [[reāpse]]

+ * [[reus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[rēs pūblica]]

+ * [[en|republic]]

+ * [[en|real]]

+ * [[en|rebus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Res publica'', often written as one word, is the affairs of state, the public good, the body politic and, pregnantly, a free state as opposed to tyranny.^(OLD 2012) Old Latin spelt it ''popl-'' and ''pupl-''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}