Etymology and origin of the Latin word cavilla
cavilla1 jest
- Confidence
- Disputed
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- c. 250–184 BC Plautus
- Ultimate origin
- Latin cavus
Etymology tree of cavilla1
From the same root · cavilla1
Pronunciation
Forms
cavilla f (genitive cavillae); first declension[1]
Etymology
The word for jesting is perhaps from Latin cavus (“hollow”): de Vaan lists it, with a “maybe”, among the derivatives of cavus,[2] and Georges and Wiktionary also take it from cavus, as “empty talk”.[3][1] The OLD and VOLI instead derive it from calvor (“to deceive”), the OLD comparing the ending of favilla;[4][5] Lewis & Short hesitantly take it as standing for an older ⟨calvilla⟩.[6]
Earliest recorded meaning
It is first found in Plautus,[4][7] meaning banter: in the Aulularia a speaker says aufer cavillam: non ego nunc nugas ago, “stop joking: I am not trifling now”.[6][8]
Semantic evolution
Lewis & Short call it very rare, found before and after the Classical period.[6] Later writers used it for a sophism or quibble, Martianus Capella and Augustine among them.[8][9] Apuleius has the forms cavillum and cavillus.[6][3]
Timeline
- c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for jesting.[4][7]
- c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses the variant cavillum.[6][3][7]
- 354–430 AD – Augustine uses it for a quibble.[9][7]
- 5th century AD – Martianus Capella uses it for a sophism.[8][7]
Meanings
Noun
Word family
cavilla2 ankle, peg
- Confidence
- Uncertain
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- 1020–1087 Constantine the African
- Ultimate origin
- Latin clāvicula
Etymology tree of cavilla2
From the same root · cavilla2
Pronunciation
Forms
cavilla f (genitive cavillae); first declension[1]
Etymology
The word for the ankle has an uncertain origin.[7] Niermeyer's derivation is from Latin clāvicula;[10] the DMLBS connects it with Old French cheville and, with a query, with clāvicula, though it also points to Arabic and Spanish words for the ankle.[11] The MLW compares Occitan cavilha and Italian caviglia.[12]
Earliest recorded meaning
It is first found in Constantine the African, who names it among the parts of the foot, meaning the ankle.[12][7]
Semantic evolution
Medieval texts used it both for the ankle bone and for a wooden or iron peg.[10][12][11] It was written in many ways, among them kevilla, chevilla and cavilia.[10][7]
Timeline
Meanings
Noun
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ 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 c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
- ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
- ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
- ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
- ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
- ^ a b c d e Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
- ^ a b c 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
- ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Cite this entry
“Cavilla.” Etymologically, 8 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/cavilla. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.
Last edited on . ·