carbasus

Forms

carbasus f (genitive carbasī); second declension^[1] In the plural it is usually neuter, carbasa;^[2][3] Valerius Maximus has it as a masculine.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek κάρπασος (kárpasos, “fine flax”).^[2][4][5][1] The Greek word is traced to Sanskrit कर्पास (karpāsa, “cotton”),^[3][6][1] with Biblical Hebrew כַּרְפַּס (karpás, “fabric of cotton”) as a link in Wiktionary's account,^[1] but Köbler takes it from a Mediterranean language, and Wiktionary also mentions Mediterranean and Anatolian sources.^[7][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler finds it first in Ennius,^[7] whose Annales have carbasus alta volat, “the sail flies high”.^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

It was first a fine fabric of cotton, but in Latin usually of linen, fine linen or cambric.^[6][3] Ennius has it for a sail, as do Catullus and Virgil,^[2][6] and Valerius Flaccus by metonymy for a ship.^[8] In Lucretius it is an awning stretched over a theatre, which makes a crackling sound,^[2][8] and in Virgil a linen garment;^[2][8] Claudian uses it for the Sibylline books, written on linen.^[8]

Medieval Latin kept the sense of sail and sailing ship, and also used it for linen, tent cloth and hemp:^[9] Aldhelm and William of Malmesbury write of spreading the sails.^[10][9]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of a sail.^[2][7]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of a theatre awning.^[2][7]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of linen clothing.^[2][7]
• 57/46–12 BC – Propertius has the adjective carbasus.^[8][7]
• 639–709 AD – Aldhelm uses it of sails.^[10][9][7]

Meanings

Noun

1. Fine linen, cambric;^[2][3][1] (plural) linen clothes.^[2][3][1]
2. A sail, canvas;^[2][8][1] (by metonymy) a ship.^[2][8][1]
3. An awning or curtain.^[2][1]

Adjective

1. Of fine linen, the same as carbaseus.^[2][8]

Word family

• carbaseus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ Saalfeld, Günther Alexander (1874), Index Graecorum vocabulorum in linguam latinam translatorum, Berlin: Weidmann
5. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
6. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
9. ^ a b c Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
10. ^ a b 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