Etymologically
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bicornis

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [bɪˈkɔr.nɪs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [biˈkɔr.nis][1]

Forms

bicornis (neuter bicorne); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin bi- + cornū (“horn”) + -is.[2][1] De Vaan traces cornū to Proto-Italic *kornu- and Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥n-o- (“horn”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Virgil has it first,[2][4] of a two-pronged fork in the Georgics.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

Its basic sense is “two-horned”, of goats, fauns, satyrs and other animals.[2][5] Horace calls the moon bicornis, the crescent, and Virgil and Ovid use it of rivers with two arms or mouths, such as the Rhine and the Granicus;[5][6][7] Statius uses it of the twin-peaked ridge of Parnassus.[2][6] Ammianus Marcellinus applies it to a battle line drawn up in a crescent.[5][7] An inscription has the plural bicornēs for horned beasts for sacrifice.[5][6]

Medieval writers use it of the crescent moon, two-pronged forks, rivers with two arms and organ pipes with two channels;[8] a British poem names a cow Bicornis.[9] The TLL notes Romance continuants meaning “anvil”: Italian bicornia, French bigorne and Spanish bigornia.[10]

Timeline

  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of a two-pronged fork.[2][4]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace calls the crescent moon bicornis.[2][4]
  • 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of a two-horned goat.[6][4]
  • c. 45–96 AD – Statius uses it of the double peak of Parnassus.[2][4]
  • c. 390 AD – Ammianus Marcellinus uses it of a crescent-shaped battle line.[5][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Having two horns.[2][11]
  2. Having two prongs or points;[2][5] (of the moon) crescent;[2][5] (of a mountain) having two peaks.[2][5]
  3. (of a river) Having two arms or mouths.[5][6]
  4. (Medieval Latin, of an organ pipe) Having two channels.[8]

Noun

  1. (plural) Horned animals offered in sacrifice.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  6. ^ a b c d e f Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  8. ^ a b Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  9. ^ 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
  10. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  11. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press