crocodilus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [krɔ.kɔˈdiː.ɫʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kro.koˈdiː.lus]^[1]

Forms

crocodīlus m (genitive crocodīlī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek κροκόδειλος (krokódeilos, “crocodile”).^[2][1][3] Köbler compares Ancient Greek κρόκη (krókē, “pebble”).^[4] Phaedrus and Martial have ⟨corcodīlus⟩, Seneca ⟨cocodrillus⟩, and Varro the Greek nominative ⟨crocodīlos⟩.^[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Cicero, of the crocodile.^[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant the crocodile, as in Cicero, Seneca and Pliny the Elder.^[2][5][6] In Pliny the Elder it also meant a land reptile, the Nile monitor.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a crocodile.^[7] British Medieval Latin used it for the crocodile and also for the cockatrice or basilisk.^[8] It survives in Italian coccodrillo and Spanish cocodrilo, and Old French cocodrille gave Middle English cokedrille, respelled English crocodile in the 1560s.^[1][3]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the crocodile.^[2][4]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of the Nile monitor.^[2][4]
• c. 1300 – Middle English cokedrille is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. The crocodile.^[2]
2. The Nile monitor.^[2]
3. (Medieval Latin) The cockatrice.^[8]

Related words

• English crocodile

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b 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