mica Latin · revision 705

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈmiː.ka]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmiː.ka]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mīca''' ''f'' (genitive mīcae); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It goes back to [[itc-pro|*meik-ā-]], and de Vaan follows Nyman in deriving it from [[ine-pro|*meyk-|t=to blink, flicker]], the root of [[mico|alt=micāre]] “to flash”, as a “glittering particle”, since it originally meant a grain of salt.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) This is formally more attractive than the traditional connection with [[grc|σμικρός|tr=smikrós|t=small]], which the OLD, the TLL and Lewis and Short give.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Pokorny and Köbler derive it from [[ine-pro|*smēik-|t=crumb]].^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is attested from Cato onwards,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) who uses ''mica salis'' for a grain of salt.^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant a grain, crumb or particle, especially of salt, and also of gold, marble, incense or bread.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Catullus says of a tall, handsome woman that there is “not a grain of salt” in her, meaning no wit, and Seneca uses ''micae'' of atoms.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Martial and Seneca use ''Mica'' as the name of a small dining room built by Domitian.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ In the Vulgate the dogs eat the crumbs under the table.^(Lewis & Short 1879) In medieval Latin it meant a small loaf of bread, French ''miche'',^(Niermeyer 1976)^(Wiktionary) and it survives as French ''mie'' and Spanish ''miga'' “crumb”.^(Wiktionary) In New Latin it became the name of the mineral [[m|en|mica]], borrowed into English in 1706.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses ''mica salis''.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it for a grain of gold.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus speaks of a woman without a grain of salt.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 40–102/103 AD – Martial names Domitian's small dining hall ''Mica''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * Middle Ages – It means a small loaf of bread.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+ * 1706 – English borrows it as the name of the mineral [[en|mica]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A grain (especially of salt), a crumb, particle.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''mica salis'': a grain of salt; figuratively, a grain of wit.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+ # A small dining room.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A small loaf of bread.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+ # ''(New Latin)'' The mineral [[m|en|mica]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mīcārius]]

+ * [[micatus]]

+ * [[mīcula]]

+ * [[mīcidus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[micō]]

+ * [[en|mica]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}