sermo Latin · revision 681

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈsɛr.moː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsɛr.mo]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sermō''' ''m'' (genitive sermōnis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It goes back to [[itc-pro|*sermō]] and is usually derived from the root [[ine-pro|*ser-|t=to line up, link]] of [[sero|alt=serere]] “to join, string together”, as “a stringing together of words”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) De Vaan finds this not compelling but defensible, since words for “speech” in other languages have similar origins, and Varro already linked it with [[series|alt=seriēs]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It cannot be connected with [[osc|sverruneí]] because of the initial *sw-.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found from Plautus onwards,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) in whom a character complains “your [[m|en|talk]] stinks to me”, and who has the proverb ''lupus in sermone'' “the wolf in the conversation”, for someone who turns up as he is being discussed.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant one's words or talk, an informal address, and above all conversation or dialogue, which Cicero distinguishes from formal oratory (''contentio'').^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It meant a discussion on a learned topic and a work written as a dialogue, and Horace called his Satires and Epistles ''sermones''.^(OLD 2012) It also meant gossip and rumour, a topic of talk, a style of speaking, and a language or dialect, as in Cicero's ''Latinus sermo''.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ In Christian Latin it meant the word of God and a homily or sermon, and in medieval Latin also a pledge, a command, and ''sermo regis'', the king's protection.^(Niermeyer 1976)^(Stelten 1995) Through French it gave [[en|sermon]] around 1200.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for talk and conversation.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro uses it for a dialogue on agriculture.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero contrasts conversation with oratory.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace calls his Satires ''sermones''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * Middle Ages – It means a sermon and the king's protection.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+ * c. 1200 – Through French it gives [[en|sermon]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Speech, talk, words.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # An informal address.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A [[m|en|conversation]], dialogue; a learned discussion.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # Common talk, gossip; a topic of talk.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A style of speaking; the conversational style.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A language, dialect.^(OLD 2012)

+ # An expression; the wording of a document.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' A homily, [[m|en|sermon]]; the Word of God.^(Niermeyer 1976)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A pledge; a command, ''sermo regis'': royal protection.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[semisermo]]

+ * [[sermonalis]]

+ * [[sermunculus]]

+ * [[sermōcinor]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[serō]]

+ * [[en|sermon]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}