daedalus

Pronunciation

• Classical: [ˈdae̯.da.ɫʊs]^[1]
• Ecclesiastical: [ˈdɛː.da.lus]^[1]

Forms

daedalus (feminine daedala, neuter daedalum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek δαίδαλος (daídalos, “cunningly wrought”).^[2][3][4][5] Wiktionary derives it instead from the name of the mythical craftsman Δαίδαλος (Daídalos).^[1] The Greek name is related to δαιδάλλω (daidállō, “to work artfully”), whose origin is disputed;^[6] Beekes considers a Pre-Greek origin.^[6]

The epitome of Festus explains the word, as Lucretius uses it of the earth and Ennius of Minerva, from the variety of things and crafts, since the Greek verb means to vary.^[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Ennius is the first to use it, calling Minerva daedala, skilful.^[7][4][5]

Semantic evolution

Lucretius uses it of the inventive earth that sends up flowers,^[2][9] of nature as a craftsman, and of the tongue as an artful maker of words;^[4][10] he also uses it passively, of skilfully made statues.^[2][9] Virgil calls Circe daedala, cunning.^[4][10] Lewis & Short call it poetic and post-classical.^[7]

In Medieval Latin it described skilfully shaped things, from Aethicus Ister on,^[11][5] and as a noun a gifted person or artist.^[11] British writers used it for skilful or crafty: John of Garland asks what woman, lying and dedala, follows the truth.^[12]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius calls Minerva daedala.^[7][5]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of the earth and of statues.^[2][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil calls Circe daedala.^[4][5]
• c. 768 – Aethicus Ister uses it of artful things.^[11][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Skilful, artful, ingenious.^[2][7][9]
2. Skilfully or intricately made.^[2][9]
3. (Medieval Latin) Crafty, deceitful.^[12]
4. (Medieval Latin, as a noun) A gifted person, an artist.^[11]

Usage notes

The proper name Daedalus is the mythical Athenian craftsman, builder of the labyrinth and father of Icarus.^[2][10] Cicero uses opus aliquod Daedali, “a work of Daedalus”, of something crude and archaic.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Saalfeld, Günther Alexander (1874), Index Graecorum vocabulorum in linguam latinam translatorum, Berlin: Weidmann
4. ^ a b c d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
9. ^ a b c d e Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
10. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
11. ^ a b c d Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
12. ^ 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