deciduus

Forms

dēciduus (feminine dēcidua, neuter dēciduum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin dēcidō¹ (“to fall down”) + -uus.^[2][1][3] dēcidō¹ is formed from dē- and cadō (“to fall”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record is in the mime writer Laberius, of falling leaves (folia decidua).^[2][5][6]

Semantic evolution

It means “tending to fall or be shed”, and is used chiefly by Pliny the Elder:^[5] of leaves, of deer's antlers and of teeth that are shed, and of fires falling to earth that are called thunderbolts.^[5][7] Pliny also uses it for testicles that hang down.^[2][5] Prudentius speaks of falling rain.^[7]

In British Medieval Latin it also meant “fleeting, transitory” and “failing”.^[8] English deciduous (1680s) was first used of leaves, petals and teeth that fall off at a certain stage.^[4]

Timeline

• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of shed antlers and teeth, and of things that hang down.^[5][2][9]
• 348/49–c. 413 AD – Prudentius uses it of falling rain.^[7][9]
• 1680s – Borrowed into English as deciduous.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Tending to fall or be shed, falling, deciduous.^[2][5][7]
2. Hanging down.^[2]
3. (Medieval Latin) Fleeting, transitory; failing.^[8]

Related words

• decido¹
• English deciduous

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
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
9. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de