Etymologically
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beta

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beta1 beet

Forms

bēta f (genitive bētae); first declension[1] Serenus Sammonicus has bētis.[2][3]

Etymology

The origin of the beet is doubtful.[4] Köbler, after the German etymological dictionaries, thinks it probably a Celtic loan.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Plautus, whom he dates c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It was the beet, Beta vulgaris, as in Cicero and Pliny the Elder.[2][3]

British Medieval Latin used it for beet or orache, glossed Old English bēte.[6] It was borrowed early into Old English bēte, the source of English beet, and into Old High German bieza.[5][2] It survives in French bette, Italian bietola and Catalan bleda.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero mentions it.[3][5]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder describes it.[3][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Beet.[4]

Word family

  • bētāceus

beta2 letter beta

Forms

bēta n (indeclinable)[1]

Etymology

The letter is borrowed from Ancient Greek βῆτα (bêta), from Phoenician 𐤁𐤕 (bēt, “house”).[4][1][5][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Juvenal, whom he dates c. 67–c. 127 AD, and the OLD and Lewis & Short cite his ante alpha et bēta.[5][4][2]

Semantic evolution

It was the second letter of the Greek alphabet, indeclinable, though Ausonius treats it as a first-declension noun.[4][2] English beta is recorded about 1300, used for the second of many things.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 67–c. 127 AD – Juvenal uses it.[5][2]
  • c. 1300 – English beta is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Beta, the second letter of the Greek alphabet.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com