circulus Latin · revision 6583

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Accius|origins=la circus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈkɪr.kʊ.ɫʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈt͡ʃir.ku.lus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''circulus''' ''m'' (genitive circulī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a diminutive of [[circus]] “ring, circle” with the suffix [[-ulus]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) Lewis and Short compare [[grc|κίρκος|tr=kírkos|t=ring]] and [[grc|κύκλος|tr=kúklos|t=circle]].^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's first citation is Accius, of a ring of people, and Köbler also starts with Accius.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010) Köbler dates Accius 170–c. 90 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant a circle, a circular figure, as Cicero's translation of Greek ''kýklos'', a ring or circular mark, as in Livy, a circular ornament such as a necklet, and a hoop, as in Virgil, or a ring-shaped cake.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) In astronomy it was an imaginary circle in the sky, a zone, the Milky Way and the orbit of a planet, as in Varro and Vitruvius.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) In Seneca it meant a recurring cycle.^(OLD 2012) It also meant a group of people gathered to talk, a social circle, as in Accius.^(OLD 2012) Döderlein says [[orbis]] is a circular motion or its path, ''circulus'' a circular surface.^(Döderlein 1874) Isidore of Seville explains the ring round the pupil of the eye.^(Isidore)

+

+ In Medieval Latin it meant a kind of crown, an enclosure and a period, and in music a sign.^(Niermeyer 1976)^(DMLBS) It survives in French ''cercle'' and Italian ''cerchio''.^(Wiktionary) Through Old French ''cercle'' it is the source of [[en|circle]], about 1300.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses it of a group of people.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of circles in the sky.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

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

+ * c. 1300 – English ''circle'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|circle]], circular figure.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A ring; a necklet, hoop.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(astronomy)'' A celestial circle; a zone; an orbit.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A cycle.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A group of people, social circle.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[circulāris]]

+ * [[sēmicirculus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[circā]]

+ * [[circiter]]

+ * [[circulō]]

+ * [[circulor]]

+ * [[circum]]

+ * [[circus]]

+ * [[orbis]]

+ * [[en|circle]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}