tam magnus

Latin

Etymology

From tam (“so”) + magnus (“large”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /tam ˈmaɡ.nus/, [t̪ä̃ˑ ˈmäŋnʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /tam ˈmaɲ.ɲus/, [t̪äm ˈmäɲːus]

Adjective

tam magnus (feminine tam magna, neuter tam magnum); indeclinable portion with a first/second-declension adjective

1. (This entry is a descendant hub.) so large, so great
   • Cicero, Verr. 5.26

     tam magna ac turbulenta tempestate

     such a large and turbulent storm

   • Plautus, Cas. 430

     opere tam magno

     so greatly

Usage notes

Standard in earlier Latin when tam was needed to coordinate multiple adjectives (cf. quote 1), when magnus was part of a set expression such as magnopere (cf. quote 2), and in some other specific contexts. Saw an increasingly generalized usage in Late Latin, competing with the adjective tantus.

Descendants

• North Italian:
  • Friulian: tamagn
  • Old Ligurian: tamagno
  • Old Lombard: tamagno
  • Old Romansch: tamaign
• Occitano-Romance:
  • Old Catalan: tamany, tan many
  • Old Occitan: ta manh, ta mang
    • Occitan: tamanh
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Old Leonese:
    • Asturian: tamañu
    • Extremaduran: tamañu
    • Leonese: tamañu
    • Mirandese: tamanho
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: tamanno
    • Fala: tamañu
    • Galician: tamaño
    • Portuguese: tamanho ⇒ tamanhinho
      • Kabuverdianu: tamánhu
  • Old Spanish: tamanno, tan manno
    • Spanish: tamaño

References

• Joan Coromines, José A[ntonio] Pascual (1983) “tamaño”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critic Castilian and Hispanic Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), volume V (Ri–X), Madrid: Gredos, →ISBN, page 394
• “tamany” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “magnus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volumes 6/1: Mabile–Mephitis, page 49