pius Latin · revision 6186

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=Ennius|origins=ine-pro *pewH-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈpi.ʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpiː.us]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''pius''' (feminine pia, neuter pium, comparative magis pius, superlative maximē pius or summē pius or piissimus or pīssimus or pientissimus or piissumus or pientissumus, adverb piē); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*pwījo-]], [[inh|ine-pro|*puH-yo-|t=purifying]], from the root [[ine-pro|*pewH-|t=to purify]] of [[pūrus]] “pure”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) Cognate with [[osc|piíhiúí|t=pious (dative)]], [[xum|pihaz|t=purified]] and Paelignian and Volscian forms.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(TLL) The first syllable is short in Old Latin poetry, and the development from *puH-yo- is disputed: Schrijver and Meiser follow Thurneysen's rule of umlaut, while others posit *pwījo-.^(de Vaan 2008)^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler's first source is Ennius, and de Vaan dates it from Plautus.^(Köbler 2010)^(de Vaan 2008) Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant faithful to one's moral obligations, dutiful, conscientious, upright, and of the virtuous dead blessed, as Horace's pious souls.^(OLD 2012) It was used of just conduct, of a just war, and above all of faithfulness to religious duties, devout, as Plautus' gods who favour the pious, and of sacred offerings, as Horace's pious offering of grain.^(OLD 2012) Of family it meant devoted to parents, spouse or relatives, as Plautus' chaste and loyal wife, and Cicero says the country gains from citizens dutiful to their parents.^(OLD 2012) ''Pius'' was an honorific cognomen, given to Quintus Metellus and to the emperor Antoninus in AD 138, and Cicero condemned the superlative ''piissimus'' as not Latin.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ In Christian and Medieval Latin it meant pious, holy, saintly, and devout towards God.^(Niermeyer 1976)^(DMLBS) It survives in Italian ''pio'' and French ''pieux''.^(Wiktionary) [[en|pious]] was borrowed in the mid-15th century, and [[en|piety]] and [[en|pity]] come from [[pietās]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of the devout and of a loyal wife.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

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

+ * 138 AD – Antoninus receives the cognomen ''Pius''.^(OLD 2012)

+ * mid-15th century – English ''pious'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Dutiful, conscientious, upright.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Righteous, just (of conduct, war).^(OLD 2012)

+ # [[m|en|Devout]], [[m|en|pious]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # Devoted (to parents, spouse, family), [[m|en|loyal]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' Holy, saintly.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[impius]]

+ * [[pietās]]

+ * [[piō]]

+ * [[piē]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pūrus]]

+ * [[en|pious]]

+ * [[en|pity]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ As a name, ''Pius'' was the cognomen of the emperor Antoninus and later emperors.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}