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beccus

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word beccus

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 75–150 AD, Suetonius
Borrowed from
Gaulish *bekkos
Ultimate origin
Gaulish *bekkos
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin beccus
Italian beccare

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈbɛk.kʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈbɛk.kus][1]

Forms

beccus m (genitive beccī); second declension[1] Medieval also becus.[2][3]

Etymology

It is a Gaulish word,[4][5][6][2] as the Romans already said:[7] probably borrowed from Gaulish *bekkos, from Proto-Celtic *bekkos.[1] Etymonline mentions a possible link with Proto-Celtic *bacc- (“hook”).[7]

It lives on in Italian becco and French bec,[5][8] and through Old French in English beak.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Suetonius records that Antonius Primus, born at Toulouse, was nicknamed Becco as a boy, and explains: id valet gallīnāceī rōstrum, “that means a cock's beak”.[5][4][2]

Semantic evolution

In antiquity it is known only from Suetonius' gloss and as a personal name, as in a dedication to Apollo.[5] It reappears in Medieval Latin as a beak,[9][3] often under the influence of Old French bec:[10] Bracton writes that a hawk is to lose its beak and claws.[10]

Timeline

  • c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius explains the nickname of Antonius Primus.[5][2]
  • mid-13th century – English beak is borrowed from Old French bec.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A beak, bill, especially of a cock.[4][6][1]
  • English beak

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  3. ^ a b Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  7. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  9. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  10. ^ a b 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

Descendants

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Beccus.” Etymologically, 23 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/beccus. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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