fabricor

Forms

fabricor (present infinitive fabricārī, perfect active fabricātus sum); first conjugation, deponent^[1] The active fabricō is poetic and post-Augustan.^[2] An old poet quoted by Cicero has the archaic infinitive fabricārier.^[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin fabrica (“workshop, craft”) + -or, and fabrica is made from faber (“craftsman, smith”).^[1][3] De Vaan reports Leumann's view that fabrica was formed after a Greek model such as ναυτική (nautikḗ, “the art of sailing”); he reconstructs faber as Proto-Italic *fafro-, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *dʰHbʰ-ro- (“craftsman”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates the verb from Plautus.^[4] Accius, quoted by Macrobius, addresses Mulciber, who forged arms for a coward with his unconquered hand.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It is to make something of wood, stone or metal: Cicero has makers of statues, the gable of the Capitol, a sword, and the thunderbolt forged for Jupiter.^[2] Ovid has the active of a bowl that Alcon had made, and Horace of weapons that experience later fashioned.^[2] Vitruvius uses it of an axle shaped on the lathe.^[3] It is also to build, as Varro's balcony made of planks, and to prepare a meal, in Apuleius.^[3] In a wider sense it is to form or fashion: Cicero asks whether a force with intelligence fashioned man.^[2] It is then to devise or contrive, as Columella's rule, and to bring about.^[3] The Vulgate uses it of making vessels and of gods made by human hands.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus has the verb.^[4]
• 170–c. 90 BC – Accius, of arms forged by Mulciber.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero, of statues, a sword and a thunderbolt.^[2][5]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid, of a bowl, in the active.^[2][5]
• 390–406 AD – The Vulgate, of gods made by human hands.^[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To make of wood, stone or metal; to forge, fashion, shape.^[3][2][1]
2. To build, construct; to get a meal ready.^[3][2][1]
3. To form, fashion; to train a person.^[3][2]
4. To devise, contrive; to bring about.^[3]

Related words

• faber
• fabrica
• fabricātor
• fabrīlis
• English fabricate

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c 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 d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de