calvor
Pronunciation
Forms
calvor (present infinitive calvī); third conjugation, deponent, no perfect or supine stems[1] There is an active form calvō, and Servius has calviō.[2]
Etymology
It is inherited from Proto-Italic *kalwe/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₂l-u- (Schrijver) or ⟨*ḱlh₁-u-⟩ (LIV); the LIV's derivation from the root “to call” is semantically attractive.[3] Possible cognates are Ancient Greek κηλέω (kēléō, “to cast a spell”), Gothic 𐌷𐍉𐌻𐍉𐌽 (holon, “to slander”) and Old English hōlian (“to betray”).[3][4]
Earliest recorded meaning
De Vaan dates it from the Twelve Tables and Plautus, and in the sense “to be deceived” from Pacuvius.[3] Köbler dates the Twelve Tables about 450 BC and Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]
Semantic evolution
It meant to devise tricks, use subterfuge against, deceive, and as a passive to be tricked, deceived, as in Pacuvius, Accius and Sallust.[6][2][3] Its derivative calumnia “false accusation”, from ⟨*kalwomnia⟩, became far more common, the source of English calumny.[3][4]
Timeline
- c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables use it.[3][5]
- c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[3][5]
- 220–130 BC – Pacuvius uses it of being deceived.[6][5]
Meanings
Verb
Word family
Related words
- English calumny
References
- ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ a b c d e f g de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
- ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
- ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press