comitialis Latin · revision 36424

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=la comitium}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [kɔ.mɪ.tiˈaː.lɪs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [ko.mit.t͡siˈaː.lis]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''comitiālis''' (neuter comitiāle); third-declension two-termination adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|comitium|-ālis|t1=place of assembly]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of [[m|la|comes|t=companion]], a compound of [[m|la|com-]] and the root for “to go”.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Plautus has it first,^(de Vaan 2008)^(TLL) once, in the ''Poenulus'', of men who are always at the [[m|en|comitia]] and sell their votes.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its main classical use was for the ''dies comitiales'', the days on which assemblies of the people could be held: Cicero, Varro, Caesar and Livy have it.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Conte 2010)

+

+ ''Morbus comitialis'' was [[m|en|epilepsy]], in Celsus and later; the name was explained by the belief that a fit during an assembly was an ill omen that broke up the meeting.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Conte 2010) From this, Pliny the Elder uses it of an epileptic person and, in the plural, of epileptic fits.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)^(Conte 2010) The TLL notes that the transferred, medical sense is found chiefly in the medical writers and Pliny, and that no poet but Plautus uses the word.^(TLL) A charter of Louis the Pious of 817 uses it of the power of a [[m|en|count]].^(Du Cange 1883) Italian ''comiziale'' continues it.^(Conte 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of men who haunt the assemblies.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro explains the comitial days.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of comitial days and a comitial month.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 14–37 AD – Celsus names epilepsy ''morbus comitialis''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of epileptics.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 817 – A charter of Louis the Pious speaks of a count's power as ''comitialis''.^(Du Cange 1883)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of the [[m|en|comitia]], comitial; of the days on which assemblies could be held.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''morbus comitialis'': [[m|en|epilepsy]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # Suffering from epilepsy, [[m|en|epileptic]].^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' Of a [[m|en|count]].^(Du Cange 1883)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An epileptic.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Conte 2010)

+ # ''(plural)'' Epileptic fits.^(Georges 1913)^(Conte 2010)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[comitium]]

+ * [[comitia]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Pliny the Elder also has the adverb ''comitialiter'', “by epilepsy”.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}