fascinum

Forms

fascinum n (genitive fascinī); second declension^[1] A masculine fascinus is also found, in the Catalepton ascribed to Virgil and in Pliny the Elder.^[2][3]

Etymology

The origin is unknown.^[1][4] De Vaan compares Ancient Greek βάσκανος (báskanos, “sorcerer, slanderer”) and βάσκω (báskō, “to slander”); if the words are related, both would be loans from an unknown third language in which the word meant “curse, spell”.^[4] Köbler also derives it from the Greek word, taken from a northern language, perhaps Thracian or Illyrian.^[5] Wiktionary adds that it is sometimes connected with fascis (“bundle”), through the idea of binding by magic, and that the influence of that word is likely even if the two are unrelated.^[1]

Ancient grammarians already linked it to the Greek: Gellius reports that Cloatius Verus took it for ⟨bascanum⟩, from βάσκανον (báskanon).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Paulus' epitome of Festus and Virgil.^[4] Festus explains the Fescennine verses as songs thought to keep off the evil eye, fascinum.^[2] The Catalepton ascribed to Virgil already has the sense “penis”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The first sense is an evil spell or bewitchment.^[2][3] Because an image of the male member was hung round children's necks to ward off the evil eye, the word came to mean the penis itself and the phallic amulet;^[3][2] Pliny the Elder calls this fascinus a guardian of children and even of generals, worshipped among the Roman rites.^[2] Apuleius uses it for a kind of seashell, named for its shape.^[2][6]

In Medieval Latin it kept the sense of a spell or enchantment.^[7] From it come the verb fascinō “to bewitch” and, through it, Italian fascino “charm”.^[1][6]

Timeline

• 70–19 BC – The Catalepton ascribed to Virgil uses it of the penis.^[2][5]
• 65–8 BC – Horace uses the neuter form in the Epodes.^[2][5]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder describes the fascinus as a guardian deity.^[2][5]
• c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses it for a seashell.^[2][5]
• Medieval Latin – Used of spells and the evil eye.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. An evil spell, bewitchment, the evil eye.^[2][3]
2. The penis.^[2][3]
3. A phallic amulet worn as a charm against the evil eye.^[2][3]
4. A kind of seashell.^[2][6]

Word family

• fascinō
• fascinōsus
• praefiscinī

Related words

• fascinātiō
• fascinātor
• fascinātōrius

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 o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon 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 e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ 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