latronicium

Latin

Etymology

Metathesis of Classical Latin latrōcinium, perhaps influenced by other legal terms ending in -icium, such as iūdicium (“trial, sentence”). Possibly a restructuring based on latrōn- (“thief”) +‎ -icium.

Noun

latrōnicium n (genitive latrōniciī or latrōnicī); second declension (Late Latin)

1. robbery, theft, larceny
   • Ca. 500, Lex Salica, Pactus pro tenore pacis dominorum Childeberti et Chlotarii regis :

     Et quia multorum insania convaluerit malis pro inmanitate scelerum digna reddantur. Id ergo decretum est ut apud quemcumque post interdictum latronicium conprobatur vitae incurrat periculum.

     And since criminal excesses have gained in force lately, let the offenders face what is appropriate for the enormity of their deeds. It is therefore decreed that anyone who is proven to have committed larceny after this decree incurs the death penalty.

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	latrōnicium	latrōnicia
Genitive	latrōniciī latrōnicī1	latrōniciōrum
Dative	latrōniciō	latrōniciīs
Accusative	latrōnicium	latrōnicia
Ablative	latrōniciō	latrōniciīs
Vocative	latrōnicium	latrōnicia

¹Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

Descendants

• Popular forms:
  • Old French: larnes, larronesse (rebuilt according to larron and -esse)
  • Old Italian: latroneccio
    • Italian: ladroneccio
  • Old Lombard: laroneçço
• Latin-influenced forms:
  • Gallo-Romance:
    • Catalan: lladronici
    • Old Occitan: laironici, laironiz, lairois, larronici
      • Occitan: laironici, latronici (Béarnese; further latinized), ladronici (Niçard; crossed with Italian ladroneccio)
  • Ibero-Romance:
    • Navarro-Aragonese: ladroniçio
    • Spanish: ladronicio (dated or obsolete)

References

• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “latrocĭnium”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 5: J L, page 202