Etymologically
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badius

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈba.di.ʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈbaː.di.us][1]

Forms

badius (feminine badia, neuter badium); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *boþjo-.[2] The ⟨di⟩ points to an original voiced aspirate, as in medius, and de Vaan connects it with Old Irish buide (“yellow”), from Proto-Celtic *bod-io-.[2][3] Because the word is limited to Latin and Celtic and begins with /b/, a PIE origin is unlikely.[2] Wiktionary notes the superficial resemblance to a PIE *bodyos “yellow, brown”.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Varro uses it, and it is rare.[2][4] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

In Latin it was a colour of horses, bay or chestnut.[3][4] Palladius and Isidore still use it, and a gloss calls it the colour of a swallow.[6]

Medieval writers used it of bay horses.[7][8] Through Anglo-French bai it gave English bay “reddish-brown”.[9] It survives as Italian baio, French bai and Spanish bayo.[1]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it.[2][5]
  • mid-14th century – English bay “reddish-brown” is recorded.[9]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of horses, bay, chestnut-coloured.[3][4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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 c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  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
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com