Etymologically
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corolla

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Forms

corolla f (genitive corollae); first declension[1][2] Georges marks the o long, corōlla; the OLD, Lewis and Short and Conte have it short.[3][1][2][4]

Etymology

It is from Latin corōna (“garland, crown”) + -la, a diminutive.[1][5][6] The epitome of Festus by Paul the Deacon already explains it as a diminutive of corōna.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest instance is a fragment of Ennius in which soft men go to plait a garland for Venus, veneriam corollam.[5][3][4]

Semantic evolution

It meant a small garland of flowers or leaves, but the TLL notes that its diminutive force was mostly lost.[5] Garlands were worn at revels and banquets and offered to the gods: Plautus speaks of lavish garlands and of walking drunk with a garland on, Catullus of a house hung with flowery garlands, and Propertius of garlands taken off the brow.[5] Paul's epitome of Festus says that a bride carried under her cloak a garland of flowers, verbena and herbs she had gathered herself,[5] and Pliny the Elder mentions a woman selling garlands in Egypt.[5][3] Isidore reports that Lucilius used it, as Homer used Ancient Greek στεφάνη (stephánē), for a mark of victory,[5] and Varro of a prize for actors.[5] Lewis and Short call it mostly poetic.[2]

Medieval writers used it for a little crown,[7][8] and Alexander Neckam perhaps for a caul or hair-net.[8] The TLL notes a dialectal Italian corolla.[5]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of a garland for Venus.[5][6]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of garlands at revels.[5][6]
  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of flowery garlands hung on a house.[5][6]
  • 57/46–12 BC – Propertius uses it of garlands worn at feasts.[5][6]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder mentions a woman selling garlands.[5][3][6]
  • c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses it of garlands of roses.[5][6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A small wreath or garland, usually of flowers, worn at feasts or offered to the gods.[1][2][5]
  2. A garland as a mark of victory or as a prize.[5]
  3. (Medieval Latin) A little crown.[7][8]
  4. (Medieval Latin) Perhaps a caul or hair-net.[8]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  2. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  4. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  8. ^ a b c d 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