cornu

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈkɔr.nuː], [ˈkɔr.nʊ]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkɔr.nu]^[1]

Forms

cornū̆ n (genitive cornūs or cornū); fourth declension^[1] By-forms cornum (Terence, Lucretius) and cornus (Varro) also occur.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *kornu- (“horn”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥n-o- (“horn”).^[2][1] The length of its final vowel is uncertain; if it is long, it may continue an old dual, “pair of horns”.^[2]

Cognate with Welsh carn (“hoof”), Sanskrit शृङ्ग (śṛ́ṅga, “horn”), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽 (haurn, “horn”) and English horn.^[2][3][1] Within Latin it is related to cervus “deer” and cerebrum “brain”.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards,^[2] who writes of oxen attacking with their horns.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant an animal's horn and horn as a material, and cornu Indicum was ivory.^[3] Hollowed horns served as vessels, and the cornu Copiae was the magic horn of plenty.^[3][4] Things made of horn or shaped like it took the name: a bow, a horn to blow, an elephant's tusk, a bird's beak, a headland, the ends of a harbour mole and the wings of an army.^[3][1] Figuratively it stood for strength and power.^[1]

In Medieval Latin it was also a corner of an altar and an arm of a church transept,^[5] and in music a wind instrument and the quill of a harpsichord.^[6] It survives as Romanian corn, Italian corno, Spanish cuerno and Portuguese corno.^[1] English unicorn comes from unicornis “one-horned”.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for oxen's horns.^[3][7]
• 234–149 BC – Cato tells farmers to smear the base of oxen's horns with pitch.^[3][7]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar writes of moles built from both “horns” of a harbour.^[3][7]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it for elephants' tusks.^[3][7]
• early 13th century – English unicorn is first recorded.^[4]
• 1590s – English takes cornucopia from Late Latin.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A horn (of an animal); an antler.^[3][8]
2. Horn (the substance), cornu Indicum ivory.^[3]
3. A horn used as a vessel, cornu Copiae the horn of plenty.^[3]
4. (poetic) A bow.^[3][1]
5. (music) A horn, trumpet.^[1][6]
6. A tusk; a beak.^[3][1]
7. A headland, spit of land.^[3]
8. An end, tip, extremity.^[3]
9. (military) A wing (of an army or fleet).^[3][1]
10. (figurative) Strength, power.^[1]
11. (Medieval Latin) A corner of an altar; an arm of a transept.^[5]

Word family

• corneolus
• cornēscō
• corneus
• cornicen
• cornīcula
• corniculāns
• corniculārius
• corniculātus
• corniculum
• cornifer
• cornifrōns
• corniger

Related words

• cerebrum
• cervīx
• English unicorn
• English cornucopia
• English horn

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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 d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ a b Lexicon musicum Latinum medii aevi (1992–), Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften; online ed. Wörterbuchnetz
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press