Ceres

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈkɛ.reːs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈt͡ʃɛː.res]^[1]

Forms

Cerēs f sg (genitive Cereris); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *kerēs, an adjective Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₁/₃-ēs (“with nourishment”) from a noun *ḱerh₁/₃-os “nourishment, grain”.^[2][1] Cognate with Faliscan ceres, Oscan kerrí (“to Ceres”) and Umbrian Śerfe, an Umbrian god.^[2][1] Eichner explains the formation; de Vaan follows Hill in deriving it from the root *ḱerh₁/₃- “to feed” and in separating it from crēscō “to grow” and creō, which belong to another root.^[2] Wiktionary and Etymonline still connect them through *ḱer- “to grow”.^[1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Naevius, who calls Proserpina the daughter of Ceres.^[2][4] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

Ceres was the goddess of grain and fruits, mother of Proserpina, identified with Demeter, who in Virgil first taught mortals to plough.^[4][6] By metonymy her name meant grain, wheat, bread, as Ovid's land rich in Ceres.^[4] Her festival was the Cereālia in April.^[3]

In Medieval Latin it still meant corn and harvest.^[7] The adjective cereālis gave English cereal, and the first asteroid, found in 1801, was named Ceres.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius names Ceres as Proserpina's mother.^[4][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil says Ceres taught men to plough.^[6][5]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of grain.^[4][5]
• 1801 – The asteroid Ceres is discovered and named.^[3]

Meanings

Proper noun

1. Ceres, goddess of grain and agriculture.^[4]
2. (metonymy) Grain, wheat, bread.^[4]

Word family

• cereālis

Related words

• English cereal

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press