praenuntius Latin · revision 33792

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=back-formation|attested=96–55 BC, Lucretius}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''praenūntius''' (feminine praenūntia, neuter praenūntium); first/second-declension adjective^(OLD 2012)

+ It is also spelled ''praenuncius''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The TLL explains it as a back-formation [[der|la|praenūntiō|t=to announce beforehand]], compare [[m|la|nūntius]];^(TLL) the OLD analyses it as [[m|la|praenūntiō]] with ⟨-us⟩.^(OLD 2012) De Vaan takes [[m|la|nūntius|t=messenger]] from ⟨*nountio-⟩ but calls its further origin unclear.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLL finds it from Cicero, Quintus Cicero and Lucretius,^(TLL) who has the winged herald that walks ahead of Venus in spring.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As an adjective it is announcing in advance, as Ovid's warning hisses.^(OLD 2012) More often it is a noun, a herald or harbinger: Ovid's cock is the bird that heralds the light, and the feminine is used of things that foretell, as Cicero's stars foretelling great disasters and a candidate's gathering of evidence for a prosecution as a herald of his defeat.^(Lewis & Short 1879) The neuter is a sign or omen in Pliny the Elder and Seneca.^(Lewis & Short 1879) The TLL notes that Augustine does not use it, though he often uses ''praenūntiō''.^(TLL) Stelten gives “forerunner”.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius, of the herald of Venus.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero, of stars foretelling disaster.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid, of the cock as herald of light.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder, of omens.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Announcing in advance, [[m|en|foretell|alt=foretelling]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|harbinger]], [[m|en|herald]], forerunner; a sign, omen.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[praenūntiō]]

+ * [[nūntius]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}