abiegnus

Pronunciation

• Classical: [a.biˈeːŋ.nʊs]^[1]
• Ecclesiastical: [a.biˈɛɲ.ɲus]^[1]

Forms

abiēgnus (feminine abiēgna, neuter abiēgnum); first/second-declension adjective^[1] Also abiegneus, in Vitruvius and inscriptions.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is from Latin abiēs (“silver fir”) + -nus, with the ending ⟨-gnus⟩ apparently modelled on salignus (“of willow”) and other adjectives for woods.^[2][1][5] De Vaan considers abiēs probably of non-Indo-European origin; it resembles the accusative Ancient Greek ἄβιν (ábin) “fir” in Hesychius, which may not be Greek.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus on,^[7] whose Casina has a lot made of fir wood;^[3][4] Ennius, quoted in the Rhetorica ad Herennium, uses it of ship's timbers.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant made of silver fir or deal: Accius has a fir stake, Livy a fir shaft, Columella fir sawdust and the Vulgate fir wood and planks.^[3][8] Poets used it of fir as a typical wood: Catullus has fir oars sweeping the sea,^[2] and Propertius calls the Trojan horse the horse of fir.^[2][8][9] In British medieval Latin it is used of doors and of timber.^[10]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus mentions a lot made of fir.^[3][7]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of a ship's timbers.^[3][7]
• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of oars.^[2][7]
• 57/46–12 BC – Propertius uses it of the Trojan horse.^[2][8][7]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of a spear shaft.^[3][7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or made of silver fir, deal.^[2][3][11]
2. (poetic) Wooden, of fir as a typical wood.^[2]

Usage notes

Poets often scan it in three syllables, with consonantal ⟨i⟩.^[3][8]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
7. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
9. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
10. ^ 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
11. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson