copa

Forms

cōpa f (genitive cōpae, masculine cōpō); first declension^[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain: the OLD calls it unknown and compares caupō (“innkeeper”).^[2] L&S and Georges take it from cōpō, a form of caupō, and Wiktionary derives it from Latin cōpō + -a.^[3][4][1] Caupō itself de Vaan considers a borrowing from an unknown source, probably a Mediterranean language in view of Greek κάπηλος (kápēlos, “huckster, innkeeper”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is the title word of the Copa of the Appendix Vergiliana, whose first line names a Syrian copa.^[6][4] Charisius notes that Virgil called the book Cupa.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The OLD defines it as a woman who entertained the guests in taverns, a dancing girl;^[2][3] L&S as a female tavern-keeper who also danced with castanets in her own tavern.^[2][3] Suetonius speaks of married women imitating copae.^[3][4]

Timeline

• c. 75–150 AD – Suetonius writes of matrons imitating tavern women.^[3][7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A woman who entertains in taverns, a dancing girl.^[2]
2. A female tavern-keeper.^[3][8][1]

Related words

• caupōna

Usage notes

The TLL records a different copa as a spelling of cupa, and Niermeyer one for cuppa.^[6][9]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
9. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill