mirabilis Latin · revision 7983

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Plautus|origins=la mīrus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [miːˈraː.bɪ.lɪs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [miˈraː.bi.lis]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mīrābilis''' (neuter mīrābile, adverb mīrābiliter); third-declension two-termination adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from [[mīror]] “to marvel at”, from [[mīrus]] “wonderful”, with the suffix [[-bilis]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) Columella has a superlative ⟨mīrābilissimus⟩.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler's first source is Plautus, whom he dates c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010) The OLD cites Terence for the construction with a clause.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant causing wonder, marvellous, remarkable, extraordinary, strange, as in Cicero, and in Terence ''mīrābile est'' it is a wonder that.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant wonderful, marvellous, and as a noun ''Mīrābilis'' Christ.^(Stelten 1995)^(Köbler 2010) It survives in Italian ''meraviglia'' and French ''merveille'' from its neuter plural, and Old French ''merveille'' gave [[en|marvel]] about 1300, “a miracle”.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses ''mīrābile est''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the marvellous.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

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

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Marvellous, remarkable, extraordinary.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''mīrābile est'', it is a wonder that.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mirabiliarius]]

+ * [[mirabilitas]]

+ * [[permirabilis]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mīrāculum]]

+ * [[miror]]

+ * [[mīrus]]

+ * [[en|marvel]]

+ * [[en|miracle]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}