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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §50.16.204.pr

The Three Different Meanings of the Term Puer

Passage 9018 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Paulus clarifies the three different meanings of the term 'puer' (all slaves, boy as the opposite of girl, and childhood).

[PAULUS libro secundo epitomarum Alfeni. ] §50.16.204.pr'Pueri' appellatio tres significationes habet: unam, cum omnes seruos pueros appellaremus: alteram, cum puerum contrario nomine puellae diceremus: tertiam, cum aetatem puerilem demonstraremus.
[PAULUS, in the second book of the Epitomes of Alfenus.]\n\nThe designation 'puer' has three meanings: one, when we call all slaves 'pueri'; second, when we say 'puer' as the opposite name to 'puella'; third, when we point out the childish age.

Notes

  1. §50.16.204.prPueri — A genitive referring to the word 'puer' itself, functioning as an appositional genitive (genitive of definition) modifying 'appellatio' (designation). It means 'the designation of the word puer'.
  2. §50.16.204.prcontrario nomine puellae — 'puellae' can be interpreted either as a dative governed by the adjective 'contrarius' (opposite to), or as a genitive dependent on 'nomine'. In either case, it means 'by the name opposite to puella', indicating the situation where 'puer' is used as the antonym of 'puella'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §50.16.204.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:50.16.204.pr

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