parvulus Latin · revision 31415

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=ine-pro *peh₂u-ro-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [ˈpar.wʊ.ɫʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [ˈpar.vu.lus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''parvulus''' (feminine parvula, neuter parvulum, adverb parvulum); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+ It is also spelled ''parvolus'',^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) as in the oldest manuscript of Plautus.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a diminutive of [[m|la|parvus|t=small]], formed with [[m|la|-ulus]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan traces ⟨parvus⟩ to [[itc-pro|*pauro-]] and [[ine-pro|*peh₂u-ro-|t=little]], cognate with [[grc|παῦρος|tr=paûros|t=little]] and [[got|𐍆𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌹|tr=fawai|t=few]]; ⟨paucus⟩ and ⟨pauper⟩ share the stem.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLL finds it from Plautus,^(TLL) who has “he had been my tutor when I was a little boy” in the ''Mercator''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is small in size, little or tiny, as Cicero's little boat, slight in degree or amount, and petty, as Terence's “about so small a thing!”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) Of children and young animals it is little or young, and as a noun a little child, as Quintilian's children learning the names of letters;^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) ''ā parvulō'' or ''ā parvulīs'' is from childhood, as Caesar's Germans who practise hardship from childhood.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “small, little, youthful, young”, and as a noun “little child”,^(Stelten 1995) the sense medieval Latin keeps.^(Niermeyer 1976) Köbler finds it in the Bible, the psalters, the law codes and Thomas Aquinas.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of a little boy.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence of a petty matter.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 50 BC – Caesar of the phrase “from childhood”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian of little children.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Very small, little, [[m|en|tiny]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # Slight, little in amount; [[m|en|petty]], unimportant.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Young, little (of children).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A little child, an [[m|en|infant]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[perparvulus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[parvus]]

+ * [[paucus]]

+ * [[pauper]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}