Etymologically
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catapulta

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ka.taˈpʊɫ.ta][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ka.taˈpul.ta][1]

Forms

catapulta f (genitive catapultae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek καταπέλτης (katapéltēs, “catapult”), from κατά (katá, “against, down”) and the base of πάλλω (pállō, “to shake, hurl”).[2][1][3] Priscian notes it as a Greek masculine that became feminine in Latin.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gaffiot's earliest citations are from Plautus, of a missile thrown by a catapult.[5] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC, and his first source is Caesar.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant a machine for discharging bolts and other missiles, a catapult, as in Caesar and Livy's catapults and ballistas set on every floor.[2][7][5] In Plautus it meant the missile itself.[5]

British Medieval Latin used it for a catapult and also for an arrow or bolt.[8] It was borrowed into Italian and Spanish as catapulta, and through French catapulte and directly it gave English catapult in the 1570s.[1][3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a missile.[5][6]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of a catapult.[5][6]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of catapults on a tower.[7][6]
  • 1570s – English catapult is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A catapult.[2]
  2. A catapult missile, a bolt.[5][8]

Word family

  • catapultārius

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. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c d e f Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ 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