promiscuus Latin · revision 34081

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [proːˈmɪs.ku.ʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [proˈmis.ku.us]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''prōmiscuus''' (feminine prōmiscua, neuter prōmiscuum, adverb prōmiscuē); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+ The older form ''prōmiscus'' is regular in Tacitus and Gellius and is also found in Livy.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from [[m|la|prō-]] and [[m|la|misceō|t=to mix]] with the suffix ⟨-uus⟩.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler 2010) The TLL calls the force of the prefix uncertain and takes ⟨prōmiscus⟩ as the older form, made like [[invidus|alt=invidus]] and [[prodigus|alt=prōdigus]], later remodelled on adjectives such as [[perspicuus|alt=perspicuus]].^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler dates it from Plautus.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It means held or enjoyed equally by two or more, common, shared: Livy speaks of the quaestorian elections, the only ones the senate had left open to both plebs and patricians.^(OLD 2012) In grammar Quintilian uses it of nouns common in gender, the Greek epicene.^(OLD 2012) It also means practised in all cases alike, general, indiscriminate: Sallust's men hold divine and human things as all one, and ''in prōmiscuō'' is without distinction.^(OLD 2012) Of a crowd it is mixed, taken from all kinds, as Tacitus' mixed multitude.^(OLD 2012) It is also open to everyone, common, as Seneca's gold in common use.^(OLD 2012) Church Latin glosses it promiscuous, indiscriminate.^(Stelten 1995) English [[m|en|promiscuous]] dates from about 1600, first “mingled confusedly”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 86–34 BC – Sallust of divine and human things alike.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of elections open to both orders.^(OLD 2012)

+ * c. 1600 – English ''promiscuous''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Shared, common, held equally by several; mixed.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(grammar)'' Common in gender, [[m|en|epicene]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # General, [[m|en|indiscriminate]];^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995) ''in prōmiscuō'': without distinction.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Open to all, ordinary, common.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[prōmiscam]]

+ * [[prōmiscē]]

+ * [[prōmiscuē]]

+ * [[prōmiscuitās]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[admisceō]]

+ * [[commisceō]]

+ * [[ēmisceō]]

+ * [[immisceō]]

+ * [[impermisceō]]

+ * [[intermisceō]]

+ * [[misceō]]

+ * [[permisceō]]

+ * [[remisceō]]

+ * [[en|promiscuous]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}