currus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈkʊr.rʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkur.rus]^[1]

Forms

currus m (genitive currūs); fourth declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *korso- (“chariot”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥s-o- (“running; chariot”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- (“to run”) of currō.^[2][1][3] It is a doublet of carrus “wagon”.^[1] Isidore of Seville derived it from cursus “running”.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Naevius, who speaks of a dictator mounting his chariot.^[3] Köbler's first source is Ennius.^[5] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant a light horse-drawn vehicle, a chariot, also a triumphal chariot, as in Cicero.^[3][6] In poetry it was applied to a ship, as Catullus' Argo flying on the breeze, and to a plough.^[3] By metonymy it meant a triumph, as Cicero's question what triumph he would compare with his friend's praise.^[3]

In Medieval Latin it was a wagon, especially a covered one for passengers.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it of a dictator's chariot.^[3][5]
• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of a ship.^[3][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a triumph.^[3][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A chariot.^[3]
2. (poetic) A ship; a plough.^[3]
3. A triumph.^[3]

Word family

• currīlis
• currūlis
• curūlis
• autocurrus

Related words

• currō
• carrus

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl