antiquus

Reflects Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti-h₃kʷ-o-s (literally “facing the front”), from the same roots whence ante (“in front of”) and oculus (“eye”).^[1] Compare Sanskrit अन्तिक (antiká, “near, in the vicinity; nearness, proximity”), which is however derived from *h₂enti-kó-s, with diminutive suffix. Sense 5 could be a calque of Ancient Greek πρέσβυς (présbus).^[1]

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /anˈtiː.kʷus/, [än̪ˈt̪iːkʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /anˈti.kwus/, [än̪ˈt̪iːkwus]

antīquus (feminine antīqua, neuter antīquum, comparative antīquior, superlative antīquissimus); first/second-declension adjective

1. old, ancient

   Synonyms: vetus, prīscus, longinquus, vetustus

2. aged

   Synonyms: prīscus, prīstinus, senex, vetus, vetustus

   Antonyms: novus, recēns

3. time-honoured, bygone
4. simple, venerable
6. (only superlative or comparative) the most important, valued, dear, precious

   Synonyms: pretiōsus, cārus, impēnsus, dīves

   Antonym: vīlis

7. classic, traditional, essential

First/second-declension adjective.

Due to the regular sound change /kʷu/ > /ku/, the masculine antīquus was pronounced with /k/ (and indeed often spelled ⟨anticus⟩). The feminine antīqua, on the other hand, retained /kʷ/. In Romance, this /k~kʷ/ alternation persisted in Old French, Old Spanish, and Old Portuguese (see below). In all Romance languages, the alternation was sooner or later leveled by analogy.

• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “antiquus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volumes 24: Refonte A–Aorte, page 660

• “antiquus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “antiquus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• antiquus in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2024), Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication
• antiquus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• antiquus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • in old days, in the olden time: antiquis temporibus
    
  • to restore a man to his former position: aliquem in antiquum statum, in pristinum restituere