dimidius Latin · revision 31757

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [diːˈmɪ.di.ʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [diˈmiː.di.us]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dīmidius''' (feminine dīmidia, neuter dīmidium); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|dis-|medius|t2=middle]], from a form ⟨*dis-medius⟩.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) The Thesaurus calls the formation strange, unless the adjective was shortened from [[dīmidiātus|t=halved]].^(TLL) The adjective [[m|la|medius]] goes back to [[itc-pro|*meþios]] and [[ine-pro|*médʰyos|t=middle]].^(de Vaan 2008) Cognate with [[osc|mefiaí|t=in the middle]], [[sa|मध्य|tr=mádhya-|t=middle]] and [[grc|μέσος|tr=mésos|t=middle]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus;^(de Vaan 2008) until the Augustan age it is used only with ''pars'', as in Plautus' “he subdued half the nations”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its sense is “half”: ''dimidia pars'' is the half, and ''parte dimidia auctus'' is “twice as large”; later it is used freely of other nouns, as Vitruvius' moon that shines half lit.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) In a looser sense it means incomplete or mutilated, as Martial's half horses.^(OLD 2012) Its neuter ''[[dīmidium]]'' became the usual noun for “a half”.^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ The ''Appendix Probi'' censures the form ⟨demidius⟩.^(Appendix Probi)^(TLL) Etymonline traces English [[m|en|demi-]] through Old French ''demi'' to a Late Latin ''dimedius'', from this adjective.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of half the nations.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius of the half-lit moon.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 40–102/103 AD – Martial of mutilated statues of horses.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * mid-14th century – Its descendant appears in English as the prefix [[m|en|demi-]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|half|alt=Half]];^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) ''dimidia pars'', the half;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) ''parte dimidia auctus'', twice as large.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|incomplete|alt=Incomplete]], mutilated, “half”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dīmidia]]

+ * [[dimidietas]]

+ * [[dīmidiō]]

+ * [[dīmidium]]

+ * [[subdimidius]]

+ * [[superdimidius]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[medius]]

+ * [[en|demi-]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}