mille Latin · revision 3436

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=Livius Andronicus|origins=ine-pro *sm-ih₂-ǵʰes-l-ih₂}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈmiːl.lɛ]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmil.le]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mīlle''' (genitive mīlle); semi-indeclinable numeral^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*smīχeslī]], [[inh|ine-pro|*sm-ih₂-ǵʰes-l-ih₂|t=one thousand]].^(de Vaan 2008) The usual explanation, which de Vaan follows, takes it as “one thousand”: an adjective *ǵʰes-lo- “heap” was made into a feminine noun, and the word for “one” took the feminine form *sm-ih₂ to agree with it.^(de Vaan 2008) The double ⟨ll⟩ may stand for a palatal /l/ rather than an old double consonant.^(de Vaan 2008) The OLD calls the etymology doubtful.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Cognate with [[sa|सहस्र|tr=sahásra|t=thousand]], [[ae|hazaŋra-|t=thousand]] and [[grc|χίλιοι|tr=khílioi|t=thousand]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler dates it from Livius Andronicus (c. 280/260 – before 200 BC),^(Köbler 2010) and de Vaan from Plautus,^(de Vaan 2008) who speaks of living a thousand years.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the singular it was usually an indeclinable adjective or noun, while the plural [[milia|alt=mīlia]] was a noun taking a genitive, as in Ennius' “eight thousand soldiers”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) ''Mille passuum'' or ''mille passus'', “a thousand paces”, was the Roman mile of about 1,500 metres, and Latin ''milia'' “miles” gave Old English ''mil'' and English ''mile''.^(OLD 2012)^(Etymonline) Used alone it could mean a thousand men or soldiers, and Köbler also lists the sense “countless”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ Medieval Latin kept the classical uses.^(DMLBS) Italian ''milione'', literally “a great thousand”, was formed from it and passed into English as ''million'' in the late 14th century, and New Latin ''millennium'' was coined from it with [[annus]] “year”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 280/260 – before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus speaks of a thousand years and a thousand coins.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses ''mille passuum'' for a mile.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * late 14th century – English ''million'' comes from it through Italian and Old French.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1630s – English ''millennium'' is formed from New Latin.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Numeral===

+ # A [[m|en|thousand]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(plural, with a numeral)'' So many thousand; thousands.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''mille passuum'', ''mille passus'': a Roman [[m|en|mile]] of a thousand paces.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(elliptical)'' A thousand men or soldiers.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(hyperbole)'' Countless, a great many.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[miliārius]]

+ * [[mīliēns]]

+ * [[mīlifolium]]

+ * [[mīlipeda]]

+ * [[mīllefōrmis]]

+ * [[millēnī]]

+ * [[mīllēsimus]]

+ * [[millimodus]]

+ * [[sēsquimīlle]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mīles]]

+ * [[en|million]]

+ * [[en|mile]]

+ * [[en|millennium]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Varro and the grammarians discussed whether the singular could be declined.^(TLL) Isidore derived it from ''multitudo'', “a great number”, an ancient guess.^(TLL)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}