Etymologically
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caballinus

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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]

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