Etymologically
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asinus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word asinus

History
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin asinus
English easel

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈa.sɪ.nʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaː.s̬i.nus][1]

Forms

asinus m (genitive asinī); second declension[1]

Etymology

Of unknown origin, and probably a fairly recent loanword: the /s/ between vowels was not changed to /r/ as in inherited words.[2][1] De Vaan notes that most Indo-European words for the ass are loanwords.[2][3] Attempts to derive both asinus and Ancient Greek ὄνος (ónos, “ass”) from a common *os(o)no- fail on the Latin a- and the lack of any trace of internal *s in Greek.[2] The source may lie in Asia Minor, comparing Hieroglyphic Luwian tarkasna- (“ass”) and Sumerian anše (“ass”).[2][1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards.[2][4] In the Asinaria Plautus tells of asses sold to a merchant.[5]

Semantic evolution

The word named the ass or donkey, a work animal for mills and carts, and with silvestris or agrestis the wild ass.[5][6] Pliny the Elder calls the rhinoceros asinus Indicus.[5] Comedy used it for a fool, as Terence and Cicero do.[5][7] It appears in proverbs, such as asinus in tegulis “an ass on the roof” for something absurd, and qui asinum non potest, stratum caedit “he who cannot beat the ass beats the saddle”.[5][7]

Its descendants include Italian asino and Spanish asno,[1] and English ass probably goes back to it through Celtic or Germanic.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for asses sold at market.[5][4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato lists asses among the stock of a farm.[7][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero calls himself a downright ass.[5][4]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder calls the rhinoceros the Indian ass.[5][4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An ass, donkey.[5][7]
  2. With silvestris or agrestis, the wild ass, onager.[5]
  3. With Indicus, apparently the rhinoceros.[5]
  4. A fool, dolt.[5][7]

Word family

  • asellus
  • asina
  • asinālis
  • asinārius
  • asinīnus
  • asinusca

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e 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 Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  7. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Descendants

Cite this entry

“Asinus.” Etymologically, 10 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/asinus. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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