attractus

Forms

attractus m (genitive attractūs); fourth declension^[1] Also spelled adtractus.^[2]

Etymology

It is the perfect participle of attrahō “to draw towards”, from ad- and trahō (“to drag”).^[2][1] De Vaan reconstructs ⟨trahō⟩ as Proto-Italic *traxe/o-.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest source is Seneca, attractīs superciliīs “with knitted brows”.^[4][5] Köbler dates Seneca 4 BC–65 AD.^[4]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it meant, of the brows, drawn together, knit, contracted.^[2][5] In Medieval Latin it meant bent, curved.^[6]

Timeline

• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of the brows.^[5][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (of the brows) Drawn together, knit.^[2]
2. (Medieval Latin) Bent, curved.^[6]

Related words

• attrahō
• trahō
• attractiō

Usage notes

A fourth-declension noun attractus meant a drawing to, attraction, in Dictys; in Medieval Latin an acquisition, appropriation, the right to have retainers, and in British records from 1171 the haulage of building materials.^[7][6][8]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ 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