The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville - Pot-pourri

(cf. John 13:5): “He was girded (praecinctus)withatowel,
and he washed the feet of his disciples.”
219. Araider(praedo) isonewhoinvadesaforeign
province with plundering, called ‘raider’ from stealing
booty (praeda), and a raider is someone who possesses
booty. Plunderer (praedator), that is, the one to whom
some of the booty (praeda) isowed.220. Kidnapper
(plagiator), after the term (“crooked”), that is,
“oblique,” because he does not attack by a straight path,
but by inveigling with guile. Pirates (pirata) areplunderers
of the sea, so called from their burning of the
passing ships that they capture, for means “fire.”
221. Messenger (pugillator), because he carries pieces
of money from one hand (cf. pugillus, “handful”) to
another. Embezzler (peculator), because he steals public
money (pecunia). Traitor (proditor), because such a
one discloses (detegere). Again, a traitor is a destroyer
(perditor), as (Vergil, Aen. 1.252):
We are betrayed (prodere, here also “ruined”) because of
the wrath of one.
222. Treacherous (perfidus), because fraudulent and
without good faith (fides), as if ‘losing faith’ (perdens
fidem). Perjured (periurus), one who ‘falsely swears’ (perpere
iurare), that is, swears wrongly. However, the verb
form does not have the r, aswesaypeiuro (“I perjure”)
and deiero (“I swear”). 223. ‘False accuser’ (praevaricator),
an advocate in bad faith, one who either neglects
things that will be harmful when he prosecutes, or
neglects things that will be profitable when he defends,
or presents the case ineptly or doubtfully, having been
corrupted by bribes.Cicero (unidentified fr.): “Why so
very perverse (praevarus)?” – that is, extremely crooked
(varus).
224. Seductive (pellax), “guileful and false,” from
‘skin’ (pellis), that is, ‘face,’ for such a one smiles on
the outside in order to deceive, but bears malice within.
Impious (profanus), as if the term were porro a fano (“far
from the sanctuary”), for such a one is not allowed to take
part in holy rites. 225.Parricide (parricida)istheproper
word for someone who kills his own parent (parens),
although some of the ancients called this a parenticida
because the act of parricide can also be understood as the
9 Isidore is treating two verbs as one: pavere, “to be in a state of
fear,” and pavire, “tostrike.” At section 201 above he uses the form
pavere for pavire.
The Etymologies X.P.219–R.234 227
homicide (homicidium) ofanybody, since one ‘human
being’ (homo) istheequal (par) ofanother. 226. Persecutor
(persecutor) isnotalways understood in a bad
sense. From this term also comes ‘finished up’ (persecutus),
that is, ‘thoroughly followed up’ (perfecte secutus).
227.Apublican (publicanus)isone who gathers the public
taxes, or one who runs after the lucre of the world
through public (publicus) business, whence such a one
is named. 228. Sinner(peccator), so called from concubine
(pelex, i.e. paelex), that is, prostitute, as if the term
were ‘seducer’ (pelicator). Among the ancients this term
signified only such shameful persons, but afterwards the
term passed into use for any wicked person. 229. Prostitutes
(prostituta), “whores,” from their ‘sitting in public’
(prosedere; cf. proseda,“prostitute”) at flophouses or
brothels; such a one is properly called pelex in Greek
(cf. , “concubine”); in Latin, concuba, andso
called from fallacia, that is, “cunning deceit, guile, and
trickery.”
230.Crooked(procurvus), as if curved (curvus)lengthwise.
Alarmed (pavidus)isone whom agitation of mind
disturbs; such a one has a strong beating of the heart,
amoving of the heart – for to quake (pavere) isto
beat, whence also the term pavimentum (beaten floor;
cf. pavire, “ramdown”). 9 231. Arustic (petro) and a
boor (rupex) are so named from the hardness of stones
(cf. petra and rupes, both meaning “rock”). Pusillanimous
(pusillanimis), one with ‘very little courage’ (pusillus
animus). Wanton (petulcus), so called from ‘eagerly
desiring’ (appetere), whence we call prostitutes petulcae.
[Long-lived (productus)...][Small(pisinnus)...]
Q. 232. Quaestor (quaestor, i.e.aprosecutor), so called
from investigating (quaerere, ppl. quaesitus), as if the
term were quaesitor. ‘Financially successful’ (quaestuosus)
...233.Complaining (querimoniosus)...Querulous
(querulus), one who brings a complaint (querella). Calm
(quietus), because such a one is untroubled in his own
spirit, troubling no one.
R. 234.Religious (religiosus), says Cicero (On the Nature
of the Gods 2.72), is so called from ‘re-reading’ (relegere):
one who reconsiders and, so to speak, re-reads the things
that pertain to divine worship. They were called religious
people from ‘re-reading’ in the same way that fastidious
(elegens, i.e. elegans) isfrom ‘choose’ (elegere,
i.e. eligere), caring (diligens) from‘carefor’(diligere),