fiscina

Forms

fiscina f (genitive fiscinae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is derived from fiscus (“basket”).^[2][1][3] De Vaan finds no etymology for fiscus: a derivation from findō (“to cleave”) is possible in theory but gratuitous.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Naevius, quoted by Servius;^[3][4] Köbler from Plautus.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It is a basket of rush, wickerwork or similar, used in pressing fruit and for carrying fruit or wine;^[2][4] Cicero has a basket of figs, and Virgil, Columella and Pliny the Elder use it.^[4] Ovid has baskets for leaves and fodder.^[4] Plautus' cum porcīs, cum fiscinā, “with the pigs, with the basket”, apparently means everything, lock, stock and barrel.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius.^[4][3][5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus, cum porcīs, cum fiscinā.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero, of a basket of figs.^[4][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil.^[4][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A small basket of rush or wickerwork, for fruit, wine and the like, a punnet.^[2][4][1]

Related words

• fiscus
• fiscella

Usage notes

Lewis & Short refer to fiscella for the synonyms.^[4]

References

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