ministerium Latin · revision 4492

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Cicero|origins=la minister}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [mɪ.nɪsˈtɛ.ri.ũː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [mi.nisˈtɛː.ri.um]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ministerium''' ''n'' (genitive ministeriī or ministerī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|minister|-ium|t1=servant, attendant]].^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Cicero, in his translation of Plato's Timaeus, uses it of service.^(Gaffiot 2016) Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^(Köbler 2010) Lewis & Short note it is otherwise absent from Cicero and Caesar.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It was the work or condition of a servant, service, attendance, as Livy says the sons of nobles were chosen to serve the king.^(OLD 2012) It also meant a duty or employment performed for a superior, as Livy's public slaves taught the rites, and help given as a subordinate, in a good or bad sense.^(OLD 2012) With a genitive it meant administration, and concretely the servants themselves or a dinner service.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ In medieval Latin it was a household post, a court office, a public office, a craft and a church ministry.^(Niermeyer 1976) Its descendants include [[fro|mestier]], [[fr|métier]] and [[it|mestiere]] “trade”, and the learned [[fr|ministère]].^(Wiktionary) [[en|ministry]] is recorded around 1200.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of service.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of service and duties.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 1200 – English ''ministry'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Service, attendance.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A duty, office, employment.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Help, support.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Administration, management.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Servants, attendants.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A dinner service.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A court or public office; a craft; a church [[m|en|ministry]].^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ministeriani]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[minister]]

+ * [[en|ministry]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}