Etymologically
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crocodilus

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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]

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