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colubra

Etymology and origin of the Latin word colubra

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Confidence
Uncertain
First attested
Plautus

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkɔ.ɫʊ.bra], [kɔˈɫʊb.ra][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkɔː.lu.bra], [koˈlub.ra][1]

Forms

colubra f (genitive colubrae); first declension[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[2][3] De Vaan sets up Proto-Italic *kolos-ro- and suggests a link with colus “distaff”, the snake being a “distaff-like” animal that winds round itself, though the form is not straightforward.[2] Walde–Hofmann and Pokorny proposed *(s)kelo-dʰro- “winding itself”, and Ernout and Meillet a loan from Ancient Greek χέλυδρος (khéludros, “amphibious serpent”), which de Vaan finds very unlikely.[2] Wiktionary and the Oxford Latin Dictionary take it as the feminine of coluber, which de Vaan lists as a later derivative.[1][4][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus uses it in a proverb: “what's in there?” – “snakes for you to eat”, that is, mind your own business.[4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was a snake, especially the snakes forming the hair of the Furies or Medusa, and a head of the Hydra.[4] Petronius has the proverb “a snake does not give birth to a rope”, like father, like son.[4][6]

Through Portuguese cobra de capello “snake of the hood” it gave English cobra, and it is the source of French couleuvre.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it in a proverb.[4][5]
  • 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid gives Tisiphone snakes for hair.[4][5]
  • before 66 AD – Petronius quotes “a snake does not give birth to a rope”.[4][5]
  • 1802 – English cobra is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A snake, serpent; a female snake.[4][7]
  2. The snakes of the Furies or Medusa; a head of the Hydra.[4]
  • coluber
  • colubrifer
  • colubrimodus
  • colubrīnus
  • colubrōsus
  • colus
  • English cobra

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Colubra.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/colubra. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·