LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

basilicus

basilicus (feminine basilica, neuter basilicum, adverb basilicē)
Classical[baˈsɪ.lɪ.kʊs]Ecclesiastical[baˈs̬iː.li.kus]

Meaning

  1. Old Latinadjectiveroyal, princely
    Basilicas edictiones atque imperiosas habet:c. 200 BCE – 190 BCE, Plautus, Captivi 4.2.31–32
    At ego basilicus sum: quem nisi oras, guttam non feres.c. 211 BCE, Plautus, Rudens 2.4.18
  2. adjectivebasilica vītis
    Possunt tamen etiam secundae notae vites proventu et ubertate commendari, qualis est Biturica, qualis basilica, quarum minorem cocolubem vocant Hispani, longe omnium primis utraeque proximae.4 CE – c. 70 CE, Columella, De re rustica 3.2.19
  3. adjectivebasilicus nux
    Nam vir doctus Oppius in libro quem fecit de silvestribus p345 arboribus sic ait: 'Heracleotica haec nux, quam quidam cataneam nominant, itemque Pontica nux atque etiam quae dicuntur basilicae iuglandes germina atque flores agunt similiter isdem temporibus quibus Graecae nuces.'c. 431 CE, Macrobius, Saturnalia 3.18.7
  4. adjectivebasilicus collȳrium
    Verum in basilico quoque collyrio convenit ad omnes affectus oculorum id esse idoneum, qui non lenibus medicamentis curantur.c. 25 BCE – c. 50 CE, Aulus Cornelius Celsus, De medicina 6.31b
  5. abbreviationadjectiveellipsismasculinenoun from verbEllipsis of basilicus iactus: one of the best throw at the dice (its exact value is unknown)
    Iacit volturios quattuor. Talos arripio, invoco almam meam nutricem Herculem, iacto basilicum;[…]c. 190 BCE, Plautus, Curculio 2.3.78–80

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativebasilicusbasilicabasilicum
genitivebasilicībasilicaebasilicī
dativebasilicōbasilicaebasilicō
accusativebasilicumbasilicambasilicum
ablativebasilicōbasilicābasilicō
vocativebasilicebasilicabasilicum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativebasilicībasilicaebasilica
genitivebasilicōrumbasilicārumbasilicōrum
dativebasilicīsbasilicīsbasilicīs
accusativebasilicōsbasilicāsbasilica
ablativebasilicīsbasilicīsbasilicīs
vocativebasilicībasilicaebasilica

băsĭlĭcus, a, um, adj., = βασιλικός,
I. kingly, royal, princely, splendid, magnificent, = regalis (in this sense perh. only ante-class.).
I. Adj.
A. In gen.. basilicas edictiones atque imperiosas habet, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 31, id. Rud. 2, 4, 18: facinora, id. Trin. 4, 3, 23 victus, id. Pers. 1, 1, 32: status, id. Ps. 1, 5, 43.—
B. Esp.
1. Basilica vitis, a kind of vine among the Dyrrhachians, Plin. 14, 2, 4, § 30, Col. 3, 2, 19; 3, 2, 28; 3, 7, 1; 3, 9, 1; 3, 21, 3' uva, Isid. Orig. 17, 5, 22.—
2. Basilica nux, Macr S. 2, 14, 7.—
II. Subst.
A. băsĭlĭcus, i, m. (sc. jactus), = Venereus, the king's throw, the best throw of dice (v. alea), Plant. Curc. 2, 3, 80.—
B. Esp. freq., băsĭlĭca, ae, f., = βασιλική (sc. οἰκια s. στοά), a public building in the forum with double colonnades, which was used both for judicial tribunals and as an exchange, a basilica, portico (cf. regia, in the year of Rome 542 there were no such porticos there, Liv 26, 27, 3, the first known was built by Cato in the year 568, and called Basilica Porcia, id. 39, 44, 7 Drak., Aur. Vir. Ill. 47; the most considerable basilicae in the Aug. age were the Porcia, Opimia, and Julia; the latter, built by Julius Cæsar in the third year of his dictatorship, was the chief seat of judicial proceedings; v Vitr 5, 1; O Müll. Archaeol. § 291, cf. with § 180, Dict of Antiq.) forum plenum et basilicas isto rum hominum videmus, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 58, § 152; 2, 4, 3, § 6, id. Mur. 34, 70, id. Att. 2, 14, 2; 4, 16, 14 Julia, Plin. Ep 5, 21, 1; Quint. 12, 5, 6; Suet. Calig. 37, so, Aemilia, Plin. 35, 3, 4, § 13 Pauli, id. 36, 15, 24, § 102, Tac. A. 3, 72, cf. Cic. Att. 4, 16, 14. porti cus Caii et Lucil, Suet. Aug 29. completis undique basilicis ac templis, Tac. H 1, 40. —Pure Lat. regia, Suet. Aug. 31 fin., Stat. S. 1, 1, 30; v regius.—In the fourth centu ry churches were first built in the style of basilicas (cf Müll. Archaeol. § 194).— Hence, late Lat., basilica, a metropolitan church, a cathedral, a basilica. Sulp Sev H. Sacra, 2, 33 and 38.—
C. băsĭlĭcum, i, n.
1. A princely robe, Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 48. —
2. In the Gr form băsĭlĭcŏn, i, n., = βασιλικόν, a black plaster, Scrib. Comp. 210, also called, 238, băsĭlĭcē, ēs.—
3. The best kind of nuts, Phn. 15, 22, 24. § 87; cf. I. B. 2. supra.—Hence, adv.: băsĭlĭcē, royally, etc.: exornatus basilice, in princely, mao nificent style, Pers. 4, 2, 1; 1, 1, 29; 5, 2, 25. —Of severe pain: ut ego interii basilice! how wholly, completely, etc., Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 54.

Origins

  1. Proto-Hellenic*gʷatiléus
  2. Ancient Greek βᾰσῐλεύς(băsĭleús)
  3. Ancient Greek -κός(-kós)
  4. Ancient Greek -ῐκός(-ĭkós)
  5. Latinbasilicus

Ancient Greek βᾰσῐλῐκός (băsĭlĭkós)bor. Latin basilicus Borrowed from Ancient Greek βᾰσῐλῐκός (băsĭlĭkós, “royal”).

Quick answers

What does basilicus mean in Latin?
basilicus, a adjective, means “royal, princely; Ellipsis of basilicus iactus: one of the best throw at the dice (its exact value is unknown)”.
How do you pronounce basilicus?
In classical Latin, [baˈsɪ.lɪ.kʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [baˈs̬iː.li.kus].
Where does basilicus come from?
Proto-Hellenic *gʷatiléus → Ancient Greek βᾰσῐλεύς (băsĭleús) → Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) → Ancient Greek -ῐκός (-ĭkós) → Latin basilicus.