bassus

Forms

bassus (feminine bassa, neuter bassum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.^[2][3][1] Köbler suggests a borrowing from Oscan;^[3] Wiktionary lists Greek βάσις (básis) or βαθύς (bathús, “deep”), Oscan, or a Celtic language as possible sources.^[1] The common Roman cognomen ⟨Bassus⟩ is the same word, and the TLL considers it perhaps Oscan.^[2][4]

It is the source of Italian basso, French bas and Spanish bajo,^[2][1] and through Late Latin of English bass.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The grammarian Martyrius says he found bassus, “that is, fat”, in the glossaries,^[2] where it is explained as “thick, fat, stout”.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The glossaries also gloss it as “not high”, and the grammarians discuss a fourth-declension noun bassus (“bulk of the body”) beside the name Bassus.^[2][6] In Medieval Latin it means “stout” and “short”, then “low”, of houses, walls, land and water,^[7][8][9] and figuratively “lowly, humble”.^[8][6] In law iūs altum et bassum was high and low jurisdiction,^[9][6] and in music bassus meant a deep tone.^[9][10]

Timeline

• 4th century AD – Probus distinguishes the noun bassus from the name Bassus.^[2][3]
• 1174 – A Mecklenburg charter speaks of low-lying land.^[9]
• 1205 – An English record describes pots with low feet.^[8]
• late 14th century – English borrows bass, “low”.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (Late Latin) stout, fat, thick.^[2][7][3]
2. (Medieval Latin) Short of stature.^[7][3]
3. (Medieval Latin) low; low-lying; shallow.^[7][8][9]
4. (Medieval Latin) Lowly, humble.^[8][6]
5. (Medieval Latin, law) Lower (jurisdiction).^[9]
6. (Medieval Latin, music) Deep, bass.^[9][10]

Related words

• English bass
• English base

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d e du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
7. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b c d e 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 c d e f g Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
10. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson