alveolus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [aɫˈwe.ɔ.ɫʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [alˈvɛː.o.lus]^[1]

Forms

alveolus m (genitive alveolī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin alveus (“hollow, trough”) + -olus, a diminutive.^[2][1][3] ⟨alveus⟩ is from alvus (“belly”).^[3][4] De Vaan traces ⟨alvus⟩ to Proto-Italic *aulos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewlo- (“tube, cavity”), with metathesis of ⟨*aulos⟩ to ⟨*alwos⟩.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Lucilius, of a gaming board.^[2][4] Köbler dates Lucilius c. 180–102 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant a small hollow: a trough-shaped vessel, bowl, basin, as in Varro and Phaedrus; a gaming board, as in Lucilius and Cicero; a basket for earth, in Livy; and the channel or bed of a small river.^[2][6][7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a bowl.^[8] British Medieval Latin used it for a trough, a river bed, a beehive and the paunch.^[9] English alveolus (1706), especially the socket of a tooth, is from it, as are French alvéole and Italian alveolo.^[3][1]

Timeline

• c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it of a gaming board.^[2][4]
• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of a bowl.^[2][4]
• 1706 – English alveolus is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A trough-shaped vessel, bowl, basin.^[2]
2. A gaming board.^[2]
3. The channel of a river.^[2]
4. (Medieval Latin) A beehive.^[9]

Word family

• alveolātus

Related words

• alveus
• alvus
• English alveolus

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
9. ^ a b 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