efferus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈɛf.fɛ.rʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɛf.fe.rus]^[1]

Forms

efferus (feminine effera, neuter efferum); first/second-declension adjective^[1] Accius may have ecferus (a conjecture).^[2]

Etymology

The OLD takes it as a back-formation from efferō “to make wild”, and the Thesaurus as formed from ⟨efferātus⟩ after ferus “wild”, and Wiktionary and Gaffiot analyse it as ex- and ⟨ferus⟩.^[2][3][1][4] De Vaan traces ⟨ferus⟩ to Proto-Italic *χwero-, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰweh₁r- (“wild animal”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Lucretius, of an untamed race.^[2] Köbler dates Lucretius 96–55 BC; he also lists Accius.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant untamed, uncivilised, savage, of people and animals, and of places wild, as in Lucretius' effera prōlēs; and savage in character or conduct, fierce, cruel, as in Virgil, who uses it often.^[2][7][4] Lewis & Short call it poetic and post-classical.^[7]

British Medieval Latin used it for savage, untamed, as in Aldhelm's savage fury of the waves.^[8]

Timeline

• 170–c. 90 BC – Accius may use it.^[2][6]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it.^[2][6]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it often.^[7][6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Untamed, savage, wild.^[2]
2. Fierce, cruel.^[2][4]

Word family

• efferasco
• efferitās
• efferō

Related words

• ferus
• fera

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ 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