civilis Latin · revision 3669

15 Oct 2026, 19:56 by bogdan “New Latin entry (sources: de Vaan, OLD, Lewis & Short, TLL...)” current version
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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=118 BC|origins=ine-pro *ḱei-}}
+ 
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA (Classical): [kiːˈwiː.lɪs]^(Wiktionary)
+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [t͡ʃiˈviː.lis]^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Forms==
+ '''cīvīlis''' (neuter cīvīle, comparative cīvīlior, superlative cīvīlissimus, adverb cīvīliter); third-declension two-termination adjective^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is [[af|la|civis|-ilis|alt1=cīvis|t1=citizen]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan, following Vine, suggests that [[civis|alt=cīvis]] was first an abstract noun “society”, which would explain why ''civilis'' means “of the civic order” rather than “of a citizen”.^(de Vaan 2008) ''Civis'' is [[inh|itc-pro|*keiwi-]], [[inh|ine-pro|*ḱei-uo-|t=socially close]].^(de Vaan 2008)
+ 
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ Köbler dates it from 118 BC,^(Köbler 2010) and de Vaan finds it in literature from Lucretius onwards, who writes of fortunes amassed by citizens' blood.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Lewis & Short 1879)
+ 
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ It meant concerning citizens or one's fellow citizens, and of war and strife, civil, as Cicero's ''bellum civile''.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) ''Ius civile'' was the law of Roman citizens, the civil law, as opposed to the law of the praetors and to natural law.^(OLD 2012)
+ 
+ It meant political, of the state, so that ''vir civilis'' was a statesman, and befitting a citizen.^(OLD 2012) Of an emperor or great man it meant unassuming, courteous, as Ovid's “what is more courteous than the father of his country?”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) In Medieval Latin it meant secular or urban.^(Köbler 2010) English ''civil'' came from it through Old French in the late 14th century.^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 118 BC – An inscription uses it.^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius speaks of citizens' blood.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses ''bellum civile''.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of Augustus' modesty.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * late 14th century – English ''civil'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Adjective===
+ # Of citizens, [[m|en|civic]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)
+ # ''(of war, strife)'' [[m|en|Civil]], between citizens.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)
+ # ''ius civile'': civil law.^(OLD 2012)
+ # Legal, determined by law.^(OLD 2012)
+ # Political, public, ''vir civilis'': a statesman.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)
+ # Befitting a citizen.^(OLD 2012)
+ # Unassuming, courteous, affable.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)
+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' Secular; urban.^(Köbler 2010)
+ 
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[cīvīle]]
+ * [[cīvilista]]
+ * [[cīvīlitās]]
+ * [[cīvīliter]]
+ 
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[cīvicus]]
+ * [[cīvis]]
+ * [[cīvitās]]
+ * [[cīvitātula]]
+ * [[en|civil]]
+ 
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}