aqua

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈa.kʷa], [ˈa.kʷaː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaː.kʷa], [ˈaː.kʷa]^[1]

Forms

aqua f (genitive aquae or aquāī); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *akʷā (“water”).^[2][1] Its only secure cognates are Germanic: Gothic 𐌰𐍈𐌰 (aƕa) and Old High German aha, from Proto-Germanic *ahwō (“water”).^[2] Following Beekes, de Vaan regards other proposed cognates, such as Old Norse ægir (“sea, ocean”), as very uncertain, and suggests that the Italic and Germanic word may even be a loan from a non-Indo-European language.^[2] Wiktionary instead traces it to Proto-Indo-European *h₂ékʷeh₂, noting that the few cognates outside Italic and Germanic point to an older sense "running water", while the usual Indo-European word for water survives in Italic only in Umbrian utur (“water”).^[1]

Ancient grammarians derived it from aequa "level", because the surface of water is level (Varro, Isidore of Seville).^[3] It continues in the Romance languages, for example Italian acqua, French eau and Spanish agua.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A clause of the Twelve Tables (c. 450 BC), quoted in the Digest, deals with damage done by rainwater (si aqua pluvia nocet).^[4][5] De Vaan dates its first literary use to Naevius (c. 235–200 BC).^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

In early Latin it is water as one of the elements: Ennius lists aqua, terra, anima, sol as the first principles of the world.^[6][3] From there it covered rain and rainwater, the sea as opposed to dry land, and the water of springs, rivers and lakes, including the current of a stream.^[6][4] Water as a necessity of life paired it with fire: to "forbid someone water and fire" (aquā et ignī interdīcere) was to outlaw them, and a bride was received with fire and water.^[6][7]

The plural aquae named medicinal springs and spas such as Baiae, and so entered many place names such as Aquae Sextiae.^[6][3] It also meant a city's water supply or an aqueduct, the water clock that timed speeches in court and the time it allotted, a solution or decoction (aqua mulsa, water and honey), the fluid of dropsy (aqua intercus), and in poetry tears.^[6]

Christian writers from Tertullian on used it for the water of baptism.^[8] In medieval documents it could mean a river, a plant extract (aqua absinthii, juice of wormwood), the right to fish in a stretch of water, and jurisdiction over offences committed on the water, while aqua benedicta was holy water.^[8] English borrowed it in the late 14th century, first in alchemical names such as aqua regia and aqua vitae.^[9]

Timeline

• c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables legislate on harm done by rainwater (aqua pluvia).^[4][5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses the old genitive aquai and the proverb "as like as water to water".^[6][5]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius names water among the elements.^[6][5]
• 234–149 BC – Cato speaks of land bought to bring water through it (qua aquam duceret).^[6][5]
• c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius has the formula of banishment from water and fire.^[6][5]
• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses aqua for baptism.^[8][5]
• 1134 – A charter of Henry I of England for the abbey of Bec grants aqua among royal rights of jurisdiction.^[8]
• late 14th century – English borrows it as English aqua.^[9]
• 1936 – Aqua is recorded in English as the name of a greenish-blue colour.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. water, especially as one of the elements.^[6][4]
2. rain or rainwater, in the plural heavy rains and floods.^[6][7]
3. The sea or water as opposed to dry land.^[6]
4. The water of a spring, river or lake; a stream or its current.^[6]
5. Water for drinking, washing, putting out fires and other uses.^[6]
6. (chiefly plural) Medicinal waters, a spa; hence place names such as Aquae Sextiae.^[6][3]
7. A water supply; an aqueduct.^[6]
8. (law) The water clock timing a speech; the time allowed to a speaker.^[6][10]
9. A solution or decoction, as aqua mulsa, water mixed with honey.^[6]
10. (medicine) The fluid of dropsy (aqua intercus, dropsy).^[6]
11. (poetic) Tears.^[6]
12. The stream of water in the constellation Aquarius.^[6][10]
13. (Ecclesiastical Latin) The water of baptism.^[8]
14. (Medieval Latin) A river; a plant juice or extract; a fishing right.^[8]

Word family

• aquaeductus
• aquaelicium
• aquaemanalis
• aquagium
• aquālis
• aquārius
• aquāticus
• aquātilis
• aquatus
• aqueus
• aquiducus
• aquifuga

Related words

• English aqua
• English aquarium

Usage notes

Aquā et ignī interdīcere ("to forbid water and fire") was the formula of banishment.^[6][7] In aquā scrībere ("to write in water") meant to say something that would leave no lasting trace, as Catullus says of a woman's promises to her lover.^[6] The old genitive aquāī survives in Plautus, Lucretius and Virgil.^[6][10]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
7. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
8. ^ a b c d e f du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
9. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.