Etymologically
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follis

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈfɔl.lɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfɔl.lis][1]

Forms

follis m (genitive follis); third declension[1]

Etymology

De Vaan connects it with Proto-Celtic *bol-, as in Old Irish ball (“member, limb”) and Welsh balleg (“sack, purse”), but leaves the further origin open.[2] Wiktionary derives it from Proto-Indo-European *bʰolǵʰ-n-is, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ- (“to swell”).[1] The OLD compares Old High German bolla (“bubble”) and Old Irish bolg (“leather bag”), and Etymonline traces it to Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to blow, swell”).[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus, whose miser ties a bag over his mouth when he goes to sleep so as not to lose his breath.[2][3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant a bag or sack, a large inflated ball, as in Martial, and a pair of bellows, as Plautus' bull-hide bellows and Livy's smith's bellows.[3][6] Lewis and Short also give a leather money-bag, as in Juvenal.[7]

In Late Latin an adjective follus “mad” developed from it.[8][4] It survives in Italian folle “mad”, Spanish fuelle and Romanian foale “bellows”.[1] Through Old French fol it is the source of English fool, recorded in the early 13th century, and English follicle comes from its diminutive folliculus.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a bag and of bellows.[3][5]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of a smith's bellows.[6][5]
  • 40–102/103 AD – Martial uses it of a ball.[3][5]
  • early 13th century – English fool is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A bag, sack.[3]
  2. A large inflated ball.[3]
  3. A pair of bellows.[3]
  4. A leather money-bag.[7]

Word family

  • folleō
  • follicō
  • folliculus
  • folligena
  • follitim
  • follītus
  • folleātus
  • English fool
  • English follicle

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  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 d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill