erus

Forms

erus m (genitive erī, feminine era); second declension^[1] It is also spelled herus, but erus is the spelling of the best manuscripts.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *eso- (“master”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₁esh₂-ó- (“master”), according to de Vaan and Wiktionary.^[4][1] The best match in form and meaning is Hittite išhā- (“master, lord”); de Vaan also mentions the Gaulish god Esus, and Pokorny's link with Ancient Greek ἐύς (eús, “good, noble”), “the good one”, which he finds less convincing.^[4] The OLD calls the origin doubtful.^[2] Lewis & Short proposed a connection with hērēs (“heir”) and hirūdō (“leech”) and a root meaning “to seize”.^[3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, Pseudolus: sī quis erum servos spernit, “if any slave scorns his master”.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Erus is a man seen in relation to his slaves and servants, the master, especially the head of a household;^[2] Plautus distinguishes maior erus, the master of the house, from minor erus, his son: maior apud forumst, minor hic est intus, “the elder is at the forum, the younger is in here”.^[2] Catullus uses it of the gods and of the owner of a property, greeting Sirmio: erō gaudē, “rejoice in your master”, and Statius of the master a horse obeys.^[2] Wiktionary adds husband, ruler and god.^[1] The feminine is era, “mistress”.^[4][1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of masters and slaves.^[2][5]
• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus of the gods and of Sirmio's owner.^[2][5]
• c. 45–96 AD – Statius of a horse's master.^[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. The master of a household; a master (of slaves).^[2][1]
2. (poetic) A lord, god; a ruler.^[2][1]
3. The owner (of property or an animal); a husband.^[2][1]

Word family

• era
• erifuga
• erīlis
• eritūdō

Related words

• dominus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de