febris

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈfɛ.brɪs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfɛː.bris]^[1]

Forms

febris f (genitive febris); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *feɣʷris, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ-ri-s, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ- (“to burn, warm”), according to Wiktionary and Köbler.^[1][2] It is related to foveō “to warm” and februum.^[1][3] The OLD calls its origin doubtful.^[4] The accusative is ⟨febrim⟩ or ⟨febrem⟩, the ablative ⟨febrī⟩ or ⟨febre⟩.^[4][5] Isidore derived it from ⟨fervor⟩ “heat”.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Plautus, whom he dates c. 250–184 BC, and Plautus has the accusative febrim.^[2][5] Cato also uses it.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant a fever, as Cicero's febrim habēre “to have a fever” and cum febrī redīre “to come home with a fever”, and with adjectives of particular fevers, as in Terence.^[4][7] In Cicero Febris was worshipped as a goddess.^[4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a fever.^[8] British Medieval Latin described fever as marked by heat and cold, and distinguished its kinds.^[9] It survives in Italian febbre, Spanish fiebre and Portuguese febre, and was borrowed into Old English as fefor, whence English fever.^[1][3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a fever.^[5][2]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it with an adjective.^[4][2]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a fever and of the goddess.^[4][2]
• late Old English – fefor is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A fever.^[4]
2. Febris, the goddess of fever.^[4]

Word family

• febrīcitō
• febricosus
• febrīcula
• febrifugia
• febriō

Related words

• foveō
• februum
• English fever
• English febrile

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
9. ^ 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