ancora

Forms

ancora f (genitive ancorae); first declension^[1] The spelling anchora is also found.^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἄγκυρα (ánkura, “anchor”).^[2][3] Wiktionary allows that it may be a cognate rather than a loan, but thinks borrowing more likely.^[1] Köbler compares the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂enk- (“to bend”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first example in the OLD is Naevius' “he orders the ship to be left at anchor out at sea”;^[2] Köbler's first source is Afranius.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It is the ship's anchor, and in phrases ancorās tollere “to weigh anchor”, figuratively to go away, in Varro, and ancoram iacere “to cast anchor” in Caesar.^[2][4] Figuratively a person can be an anchor, as in Ovid's “you remain the only anchor of my wrecked boat”.^[2] Livy uses it of a grappling hook in siege warfare.^[2] Wiktionary gives the figurative sense refuge, support or hope.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius of a ship left at anchor.^[2][3]
• 116–27 BC – Varro of weighing anchor.^[2][3]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar of casting anchor.^[4][3]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of grappling hooks.^[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. An anchor;^[2][4][1] ancorās tollere, to weigh anchor;^[2][4][1] ancoram iacere, to cast anchor.^[2][4][1]
2. Figuratively, a support or refuge, of a person.^[2][1]
3. A grappling iron or hook.^[2]

Word family

• ancoralis
• ancorarius
• ancorāgō
• ancorāle

Related words

• English anchor

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press