privatus Latin · revision 4036

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Plautus|origins=ine-pro *prei-uo-}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''prīvātus''' (feminine prīvāta, neuter prīvātum); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the perfect participle of [[privo|alt=prīvō]] “to deprive; to set apart”, used as an adjective.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) ''Prīvō'' comes from [[privus|alt=prīvus]] “individual, separate”, which de Vaan derives from [[itc-pro|*prei-wo-]], [[ine-pro|*prei-uo-]], a form of the stem *prei- “before” seen in [[prior]].^(de Vaan 2008) Old spellings are [[m|la|preivatus]] and [[m|la|preiuatod]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Plautus asks whether a slave serves a private or a public master.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Of property it meant restricted to particular persons, private, as opposed to public, as Caesar's private buildings and fields.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913) It meant not holding public office, and of a person in his private capacity, as Cicero's ''privato consilio'', “on his own initiative”.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) It also meant peculiar or special, as Pliny's Palmyra with its own fortune between two empires.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ As a noun a ''privatus'' was a private person, as Plautus' man “who is now a private person”.^(OLD 2012) In medieval Latin it meant non-festal, and ''privatum'' or ''privata'' a privy.^(Niermeyer 1976) English ''private'' was borrowed in the late 14th century, and ''privy'' came through Old French in the early 13th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of private service.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of private persons.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of private buildings.^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * early 13th century – English ''privy'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+ * late 14th century – English ''private'' is borrowed.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|Private]], one's own (not public).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Not holding office, unofficial.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of a private person.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Peculiar, special.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' Non-festal.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A private person, a citizen without office.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin, neuter or feminine)'' A [[m|en|privy]].^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[privus]]

+ * [[en|private]]

+ * [[en|privy]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}