gymnasium Latin · revision 4127

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=Plautus|origins=grc γυμνάσιον}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ɡymˈna.si.ũː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [d͡ʒimˈnaː.s̬i.um]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''gymnasium''' ''n'' (genitive gymnasiī or gymnasī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|grc|γυμνάσιον|tr=gumnásion|t=exercise ground, school]], from [[m|grc|γυμνός|tr=gumnós|t=naked]], because Greek athletes trained naked.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Saalfeld 1874) Varro and Catullus have the form [[m|la|gyminasium]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Plautus, in the Amphitryon, has a man search all the streets, the gymnasia and the perfume shops.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Köbler dates Plautus about 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It was a centre for athletic exercise, usually only in Greek cities, in Plautus, Cicero, Propertius and Ovid, who mention the girls' gymnasium of Sparta.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Plautus jokingly has someone made into a gymnasium, that is, beaten.^(Gaffiot 2016) Inscriptions use it of a gymnastic exhibition given to citizens.^(OLD 2012) Isidore of Seville says that at Athens it was the place where philosophy was taught.^(Isidore)

+

+ In medieval Latin it meant a school, studies, mental and spiritual exercise, and also a guildhall or town hall and baths.^(Niermeyer 1976)^(MLW)^(DMLBS) English ''gymnasium'' is recorded in the 1590s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus mentions gymnasia.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 560–636 AD – Isidore of Seville connects it with philosophy at Athens.^(Isidore)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1590s – English ''gymnasium'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|gymnasium]], a place for athletic exercise.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A gymnastic exhibition.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A school of philosophy.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Isidore)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A [[m|en|school]]; study, training.^(Niermeyer 1976)^(MLW)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|gymnasium]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}