Etymologically
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larva

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈlɑː.və/ (UK); /ˈlɑɹ.və/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from New Latin larva, a special use by Linnaeus of Latin lārva, earlier lārua (“ghost, evil spirit; mask”),[2][3][4][5] a word of unknown origin.[4] It is probably related to Lār (“household god”) (see Lares),[5][6][7] a derivation de Vaan finds attractive in meaning.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

A disembodied spirit, ghost or spectre (1651 in the OED and Barnhart; 1630s in Etymonline, and earlier as larve).[8][3][4]

Semantic evolution

The Latin word also meant a terrifying mask, and in Medieval Latin a mask or visor.[2][9] In 1768 Linnaeus applied it to the immature form of insects, because it hides or “masks” the adult form.[3][4][2][10] This zoological sense crowded out the original one,[4] which survives in the history of Roman religion.[8] By 1691 the word was also applied to the early forms of other animals that undergo metamorphosis, such as frogs.[8][5]

Timeline

  • 1651 – a ghost or spectre.[8][3]
  • 1691 – an immature form of other animals.[8]
  • 1768 – an insect grub (Linnaeus).[3][4][5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The newly hatched, wingless, often wormlike form of many insects before metamorphosis, such as a caterpillar or grub.
  2. The early, free-living form of any animal, such as a frog, that differs greatly from the adult and changes by metamorphosis.
  3. (Roman antiquity) A malevolent spirit of the dead; a lemur.

Word family

  • larval
  • larvicide
  • larviparous
  • larvivorous

Usage notes

The plural is larvae, and larvas is also used but considered incorrect by some.[5][1]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
  8. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  9. ^ From Abracadabra to Zeus: Word Histories and Mysteries (2004), Boston: Houghton Mifflin (American Heritage Dictionaries)
  10. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press