pretiosus Latin · revision 7140

16 Oct 2026, 13:18 by bogdan “New Latin entry (sources: de Vaan, OLD, Lewis & Short, TLL...)” current version
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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Plautus|origins=la pretium}}
+ 
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA (Classical): [prɛ.tiˈoː.sʊs]^(Wiktionary)
+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [pret.t͡siˈɔː.s̬us]^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Forms==
+ '''pretiōsus''' (feminine pretiōsa, neuter pretiōsum, comparative pretiōsior, superlative pretiōsissimus, adverb pretiōsē); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is from [[pretium]] “price, value” with the suffix [[-ōsus]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) Inscriptions and the Old Latin Bible spell it ⟨prae-⟩.^(TLL)
+ 
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of what is expensive.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)
+ 
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ It meant costly, worth much money, precious, as Cicero's ''rēs pretiōsae'' “valuables” and ''equus pretiōsus'' “a valuable horse”.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) In Ovid it was used of circumstances involving great cost, and in Horace of one who pays a high price.^(OLD 2012) From Ovid it meant valuable in a non-monetary sense, highly esteemed, and in Gaius of an argument valid.^(OLD 2012)
+ 
+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant precious, of great price.^(Stelten 1995) It survives in Italian ''prezioso'', French ''précieux'' and Spanish ''precioso'', and through Old French ''precios'' it gave [[en|precious]] in the mid-13th century.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Timeline==
+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of the expensive.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of ''rēs pretiōsae''.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of what is esteemed.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * mid-13th century – English ''precious'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Adjective===
+ # Costly, expensive, [[m|en|precious]].^(OLD 2012)
+ # Involving great cost; paying a high price.^(OLD 2012)
+ # Valuable, highly esteemed.^(OLD 2012)
+ # Of an argument, valid.^(OLD 2012)
+ 
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[pretiōsitās]]
+ * [[pretiōsē]]
+ 
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[pretium]]
+ * [[en|precious]]
+ * [[en|price]]
+ 
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}