ancora
Pronunciation
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
- An anchor;[2][4][1] ancorās tollere, to weigh anchor;[2][4][1] ancoram iacere, to cast anchor.[2][4][1]
- Figuratively, a support or refuge, of a person.[2][1]
- A grappling iron or hook.[2]
Word family
- ancoralis
- ancorarius
- ancorāgō
- ancorāle
Related words
- English anchor
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ 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
- ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
- ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press