caballinus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ka.balˈliː.nʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ka.balˈliː.nus]^[1]

Forms

caballīnus (feminine caballīna, neuter caballīnum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin caballus (“horse, nag”) + -īnus.^[2][1] The origin of ⟨caballus⟩ is uncertain; it is often said to be from Gaulish, perhaps ultimately an Asian borrowing or wandering word, and de Vaan reports Beekes' comparison with Turkish ⟨käväl⟩ and Persian ⟨kaval⟩.^[1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short call it post-Augustan, citing Pliny the Elder, of horse meat and horses' teeth.^[4][5] Köbler dates Pliny 23/24–79 AD.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant of a horse, horse-, as in Pliny, and Persius' fōns caballīnus is the Hippocrene.^[2][4][6] ungula caballīna “horse's hoof” was coltsfoot.^[5]

Medieval Latin used it for drawn or carried by a horse.^[7] British Medieval Latin used it for of or for a horse, in plant names, and of bread carried by horse.^[8]

Timeline

• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it.^[4][5]
• 34–62 AD – Persius has fōns caballīnus.^[6][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of a horse, horse-.^[2]
2. (Medieval Latin) Drawn or carried by a horse.^[7]

Related words

• caballus
• equīnus

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b 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