fanaticus Latin · revision 671

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [faːˈnaː.tɪ.kʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [faˈnaː.ti.kus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fānāticus''' (feminine fānātica, neuter fānāticum, adverb fānāticē); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from [[fanum|alt=fānum]] “temple, shrine” with the suffix [[m|la|-āticus]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) ''Fānum'' is related to [[festus]] “festive”, according to Etymonline.^(Etymonline) Some ancient writers derived it from [[Faunus]].^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler and the TLL date it from Cicero,^(Köbler 2010)^(TLL) who calls a man a ''homo fanaticus'', a [[m|en|fanatic]], for attending a rite out of an old woman's superstition.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its first sense was “of a temple”, as in an inscription recording temple funds (''pecunia fanatica''), and as a noun it meant a temple servant or devotee, especially of Bellona or Cybele.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Festus records that a tree struck by lightning was called ''fanatica''.^(OLD 2012) More often it meant inspired by orgiastic rites, frenzied, as of the eunuch priests of Cybele in Livy, and then frantic or mad in general, as in Cicero's “superstitious and almost fanatic philosophers”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ In Christian Latin it meant pagan or of pagan ritual, and as a noun a pagan priest or a heathen.^(Niermeyer 1976) English borrowed it in the 1520s as [[en|fanatic]], first meaning “insane person”, and the sense “zealous person” followed in the 1640s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero calls superstitious men ''fanatici''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy describes the frenzied priests of Cybele.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace writes of a madman driven by ''fanaticus error''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 528–534 AD – The Code of Justinian uses it as a noun for a religious enthusiast.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1520s – English borrows it as [[en|fanatic]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of a temple, (as a noun) a temple servant, devotee.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # (of a tree) Struck by lightning.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Inspired by orgiastic rites, frenzied, [[m|en|fanatic]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # Frantic, mad.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913)

+ # ''(Christian Latin)'' [[m|en|pagan|alt=Pagan]], (as a noun) a pagan priest, a heathen.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fānāticē]]

+ * [[fānitālis]]

+ * [[fānō]]

+ * [[fānulum]]

+ * [[fānum]]

+ * [[en|fanatic]]

+ * [[en|fan]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}