Etymologically
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acies

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈa.ki.eːs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaː.t͡ʃi.es][1]

Forms

aciēs f (genitive aciēī); fifth declension[1]

Etymology

It is from the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”) of ācer “sharp” and acuō “to sharpen”.[1][2][3] Isidore of Seville derived the battle line from its sharp swords.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of a sharp edge, sight and battle.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant a sharp edge, the edge of a blade or the point of a spear, as in Plautus and Cicero, also figuratively.[2][5] With oculōrum it meant the sight of the eyes, vision, a glance, the pupil, the eye itself, and the mind's keenness, as Cicero's aciēs mentis.[2] It meant an army drawn up for battle, a line, battle order, as in Caesar, and a battle, fight, as in Plautus, also figuratively the fray of the courts.[2] Old genitives aciē and aciī occur.[2][6] Döderlein says aciēs is the sharpness of an edge, acūmen that of a point, and in war aciēs is the clash of two lines, pugna any fight.[7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant keenness, edge, the pupil of the eye and the line of battle.[8] It survives in Old Spanish haz.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of edges, sight and battle.[2][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses aciēs mentis.[2][3]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of a battle line.[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A sharp edge; a blade, point.[2]
  2. Sight, vision; a glance; the pupil, the eye.[2]
  3. Keenness (of mind).[2]
  4. An army in battle array; a line; battle order.[2]
  5. A battle.[2]

Word family

  • aciāle
  • aciārium

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson