caduceus

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kəˈdu.si.əs/, /kəˈdjuː.si.əs/^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin caduceus,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} an alteration of Doric Greek kārū́keion “herald's staff”,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from kârux (Attic kêrux) “herald”,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} probably a Pre-Greek word.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The staff carried by an ancient Greek or Roman herald (1591; 1577 in Merriam-Webster).^[3][7][5][4]

Semantic evolution

As a token of a peaceful embassy the herald's staff was originally an olive branch.^[4] It came to mean especially the wand of Mercury (Hermes), messenger of the gods, shown with two serpents twined around it and wings at the top.^[4][2][7] As Mercury was the god of commerce, it became a symbol of commerce.^[4] It is also used as an emblem of the medical profession,^[2][5][6] which Etymonline calls a confusion with the rod of Asclepius, which has a single serpent.^[4]

Timeline

• 1577 – Merriam-Webster's date.^[5]
• 1591 – a herald's staff; the wand of Hermes.^[3][7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A winged staff with two serpents twined around it, carried by Hermes or Mercury.
2. A herald's wand or staff, especially in ancient times.
3. An emblem modelled on Hermes' staff, used as a symbol of the medical profession.

Word family

• caducean

Related words

• staff of Aesculapius
• herald

Usage notes

Random House refers to the staff of Aesculapius, with which the caduceus is compared as a medical emblem.^[6]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b c d e Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press